Natural Simplicity
A few elements of design, deftly handled, brought a Mid-century glass house back to its better self.
“Around dusk, the ospreys go fishing.” That’s what came to mind when the owner was asked about her favorite part of living in this home. Built in 1958, the Mid-century Modern house was recently renovated by Rill Architects of Bethesda, Maryland. Le Corbusier sought to design homes that were “machines for living”; from the moment Jim Rill and his team saw the property, they knew their task was to return this one to its rightful state as a “machine for appreciating nature.”
The original design offered a getaway on one level, without air conditioning, its plan a simple cross. The house had been remodeled at least once before, at which time the second-floor “eyebrow” structure was added—and ceilings were dropped to accommodate ductwork.
|
|
|
At the time, that may have been a necessary intervention to meet new standards of year-round living; the dropped ceiling, however, interfered with views of the pond. It also compromised the planar ethos that was essential to the design.In this more sensitive renovation, that would not stand.
New, streamlined ductwork allowed the ceiling to be raised, liberating the views. Other changes include an expanded kitchen now integrated with the main living spaces; an enclosed garage in place of the featureless carport; and, importantly, an entry portico that gives the house, Rill says, a locus of arrival.
“I wanted to build on the original design intent for the home, but modernize it for today’s living,” says Jim. In deference to the original design, the additions made to the footprint—the entry portico and a new screened porch—are across from each other, positioned to symmetrically broaden the transept rather than alter the existing axes. The result maintains the crossed-axes footprint, but it’s now more plus sign-shaped than cruciform.
|
|
|
With the goal to maintain connection to the very verdant environment outside glass walls, careful attention was paid to align interior details. Non-swinging barn doors are used at the entry’s coat closets. The floor tile echoes the sandy beach just down the hill.
The owner summarizes the project well: “I was drawn to the house because of its simplicity. The architecture allowed nature to be the star of the show. The renovation respected and enhanced it.”
It is a rare serendipity when the intentions of the original architect, the new homeowner, and the architect called to renovate all come together. When they do, the restoration and renovation becomes a living, breathing thing. It doesn’t hurt to have living, breathing things to watch out the windows. As Jim Rill says, “There is no better art than nature.”
Project HighlightsLocation: Bethesda, Maryland Architect: Jim Rill, Rill Architects, (301) 656-4166 Program: For a 1958 Modern house that had been remodeled in the past, provide a better entrance, connect indoors to outdoors with a resolution to dropped ceilings, and design a new kitchen integrated into the floor plan. |
— Written by Peter B. Thomsen. Produced by Patricia Poore. Photographs by Allen Russ.
RELATED STORIES
-
A closed-stringer, drywall staircase was replaced by one more in keeping with the Modern aesthetic. Two dogs live here: Gilbert and Sullivan. ©Allen Russ / StudioHDP -
Sliding doors in the foyer don’t obstruct the verdant view. ©Allen Russ / StudioHDP -
Expansion of the foyer and new entry portico, along with the addition of a screened porch on the pond side, modified the original plan while maintaining its crossed axes. ©Allen Russ / StudioHDP -
Glass walls allow sightlines from the entry, through the main core of the house, past the new screened porch, and to the pond. ©Allen Russ / StudioHDP -
“The flow from entry portico through to the screened porch and the pond accentuates the connection between the house and its homage to nature,” says architect Jim Rill. The ceiling fixture is from Allan Knight. ©Allen Russ / StudioHDP -
A simple pool deck now sits between the house and the pond. ©Allen Russ / StudioHDP -
A feature wall with a two-sided fireplace separates the kitchen from the main living room. Pendants are from Visual Comfort & Co. The fireplace feature wall separates the new kitchen from the living room, without closing off views. Before, the remodeled kitchen had been a closed afterthought with low-quality finishes. ©Allen Russ / StudioHDP -
The dining room is beyond the kitchen, adjacent to the screened porch. The chandelier is by Kelly Wearstler; the rug is from the Micah collection by Feizy. ©Allen Russ / StudioHDP -
With new custom cabinets by Danish Builders and a quartz waterfall countertop, the kitchen has joined the entertaining area of the home. ©Allen Russ / StudioHDP -
The new portico echoes the original, planar design while affording a clear point of entry. The original house had no clear path to the entry. The new portico echoes the planar design while affording “a locus of arrival.” ©Allen Russ / StudioHDP
