Arlington. VA
The design of this new house in Arlington, VA, inverts the entry sequence of the standard suburban house - the spatial sequence is vertical, rather than horizontal. While entry to most suburban houses is through an attached garage, here the car passes underneath the house to the back of the sloped site, to a freestanding garage. From there the Owners experience their house on foot, starting in the wooded rear yard and moving upwards through the lower level and into the central 2-story space. The house is an L-shape, with a “grounded” volume facing the street, and a “floating” volume facing the rear yard and pool. The grounded volume runs parallel to the street and contains all “public” spaces, including guest entry, living room, dining room, and bedrooms. The floating volume, glass and transparent, runs perpendicular to the street, creating an edge for the site and containing all “private” spaces, including kitchen, family room, shared office, and master suite. The lower level serves as a guest suite for older parents to age-in-place, with a shared family room and gym facing the pool. The garage’s green roof provides a focal point from the main house, and the rear pool patio consists of permeable pavers to allow for drainage. The rear of the site is fully wooded, providing shade, privacy, and view.
The design of this new house in Arlington, VA, inverts the entry sequence of the standard suburban house - the spatial sequence is vertical, rather than horizontal. While entry to most suburban houses is through an attached garage, here the car passes underneath the house to the back of the sloped site, to a freestanding garage. From there the Owners experience their house on foot, starting in the wooded rear yard and moving upwards through the lower level and into the central 2-story space. The house is an L-shape, with a “grounded” volume facing the street, and a “floating” volume facing the rear yard and pool. The grounded volume runs parallel to the street and contains all “public” spaces, including guest entry, living room, dining room, and bedrooms. The floating volume, glass and transparent, runs perpendicular to the street, creating an edge for the site and containing all “private” spaces, including kitchen, family room, shared office, and master suite. The lower level serves as a guest suite for older parents to age-in-place, with a shared family room and gym facing the pool. The garage’s green roof provides a focal point from the main house, and the rear pool patio consists of permeable pavers to allow for drainage. The rear of the site is fully wooded, providing shade, privacy, and view.
