Page 69 - ArchDC_Winter2017

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Courtesy of Carter +
Burton Architecture

Dining area. Photo © Daniel Afzal

The Kalorama Row House project, designed by Carter + Even in a large row house, storage space can be at a
Burton Architecture (CBA), substantially renovated the premium. Accordingly, CBA said, “the project also features
interior of a large row house in Washington’s prestigious many hidden built-ins and compartments throughout,
Kalorama neighborhood. The renovation transformed a using a ship-like mentality to access every square inch
dark and aged structure with tilted floors and failing for functionality.”
stairs into a four-level, three-bedroom residence with an CBA “has been at the forefront of the sustainable
additional basement-level apartment and generous design movement since the firm was founded in 1992,”
indoor and outdoor spaces for large gatherings. The the firm says, adding that “energy efficiency, air quality,
house’s original front façade, executed handsomely in eco-friendly building materials, and controlled natural
The renovation was guided by the concept of a to our approach.”
rusticated gray stone, remains in place.
light combined with thoughtful design are the cornerstones
palimpsest—a document on which traces of older writing
Reflecting this focus, the house as renovated gathers
are visible under a top layer of more recently added text.
Photo © Daniel Afzal
and its rear façade (where a newly added wrap-around
Implementing this concept, CBA’s design for the renovation natural light not only from its south-facing front façade
preserved elements of the house’s shell while inserting new window wall on the first floor sends soft northern light
into the kitchen and dining room), but also from a gangway
finishes, creating renovated spaces in which new and old
elements play off one another, supporting a modern lifestyle that runs along one side of the house and from a rooftop
while reminding occupants of the house’s earlier years. light monitor. Large, frameless, pivot-wall doors and a
“Existing plaster walls were preserved and featured double-wide barn door help daylight pass between interior
on all levels,” CBA said. On top of that base layer, “special spaces. Sustainable design features include reclaimed wood
acoustic wood detailing and beeswax walls on new flooring, foam insulation, an energy recovery ventilator in
insertions help reflect light and define spaces.” the HVAC system, steel windows with thermal breaks to
The dramatically wood-sheathed dining room in the reduce heat gain and loss, a living roof, and solar panels.
middle of the first floor provides guests with an early The Kalorama Row House project takes the idea of a
indication of the house’s newly added materials. Warm palimpsest and runs with it to create a residence that
wood elements there and elsewhere are complemented by presents a rich combination of layers that are not just old
blue cabinetry in the kitchen and a second-floor bathroom and new, but also textured and smooth, and neutral-toned
and laundry, and by biomorphically patterned blue walls and brightly colored.
in a third-floor bathroom.

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