PROJECT Historic Shaw Rowhouse

LOCATION  Washington, District of Columbia US

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  10/1/2019

ARCHITECT  Hill and Hurtt Architects

ASSOCIATED ARCHITECT/DESIGNER  

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Joshua O. Hill, AIA LEED AP- Principal; Eric Hurtt, AIA- Principal

OWNER/CLIENT

CONTRACTOR/CONSTRUCTION MANAGER  Cen Sevim

PHOTOGRAPHER  Stacy Zarin Goldberg

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
CIVIL ENGINEER
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Jon Tung
MECHANICAL ENGINEER
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
CONSULTANT
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SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT  

This DC rowhouse in the Shaw historic district had been the victim of many poor, ad-hoc renovations throughout the years. The resulting spaces lacked spatial definition and had lost their historic details and character. 

We approached this whole-house renovation with three primary goals: to bring light deep into the house with windows, skylights, and large openings between spaces; to use materials that were energy efficient, reclaimed, and sustainably sourced; and to develop a forward looking architectural language that echoes the era of the original home. 

The garden facade was redesigned to bring natural light into the back of the house, with large scale windows and doors. The brickwork incorporates details from the historic front facade, including corbels, arches, and brick patterns. The result is an appropriately scaled garden facade that relates to the adjacent exterior spaces and creates a new garden entry for the home.

Through the use of large cased openings, pilasters and beams, and other architectural details, spaces throughout the house were connected with one another while being given the spatial definition that they had lacked. Additional details such as built-in cabinetry provide much needed storage and were designed to compliment the architecture of the house. The existing fireplaces were restored using salvaged mantels, allowing the fireplaces to once again be the focal point of the spaces that they are in. Doors, door hardware, and stair parts were reclaimed and re-purposed, harnessing their embodied energy. New, energy-efficient windows and skylights were used throughout the house, as well as modern insulation, enhancing the efficiency of the thermal envelope.
 

JURY COMMENTS (If Applicable)

MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Project/Jury PDF

IMAGES (Captions and Photographer Credit)

1. Renovated Rear Facade- Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
2. Renovated Rear Facade- Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
3. Dining and Living Rooms- Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg

4. Dining Room- Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
5. Kitchen- Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
6. Stair Hall- Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
7. Stair- Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
8. Third Floor Family Room- Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg