Historic Context in a Residential Addition

We were approached by the owners of a 1930’s English manor style house who desired to save the charm and scale of the residence, originally designed by Harwood K. Smith of HKS Architects, yet required more space. This sensitivity to preservation is unusual in a neighborhood where older homes are usually torn down and replaced by new built mansions. By following the architectural cues of the house and the topography of the site, we were able to design an addition that successfully preserved the historic context and provided the expansion requested.

Unique Concepts:

The side street of the lot is several feet lower than the first floor of the existing house. The new Garage, Mud Room and Wine Cellar were lowered to the level of the street as a partial basement and the new Master Bedroom Suite spans the upper floor. From the first floor, a half flight now leads up to the Master and a half flight descends down to the Garage. By doing this, it kept the addition in scale with the existing house.

Since no exact match for the existing brick could be found; the new brick, a close match, is separated from the existing brick by a turret made of the same stone that is used as an accent on the existing house. Because of this “trick”, the difference in the new brick and old brick is imperceptible.

The addition includes a prominent Entry Porch, expanded Kitchen, Breakfast Room, Family Room, Master Bedroom Suite, three additional Bedroom Suites on the second floor, a Mud Room, a Wine Cellar, and an attached Two-Car Garage.

Before and After

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We would like to thank all who made this renovation a success: interior design by owner Elizabeth McGee, addition construction by Jim Reilly of Reilly Homes, and landscape architecture by Naud Burnett.

Regards, Richard Drummond Davis Architects