PROJECT Casa Venezuela
ARCHITECT KUBE architecture
LOCATION  Bethesda, Maryland US

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  9/30/2020
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Richard Loosle-Ortega RA, Matthew Dougherty
OWNER/CLIENT
CONTRACTOR/CONSTRUCTION MANAGER  New Era Builders
PHOTOGRAPHER  Greg Powers
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
CIVIL ENGINEER
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER JZ Structural Consulting
MECHANICAL ENGINEER
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
CONSULTANT Mersoa Woodworking LLC
CONSULTANT
CONSULTANT
CONSULTANT
CONSULTANT
CONSULTANT
CONSULTANT
CONSULTANT
CONSULTANT
CONSULTANT

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT
A couple from Venezuela with a split-level house in Bethesda, were looking to transform their home into a modern, open and light filled space. The couple also entertains and requested a home that allowed the easy flow of guests from indoor to outdoor. The program includes an office in the main space, in addition to the living, dining and kitchen areas. The design intention was to keep the expanded house efficient and scale-appropriate for the neighborhood. In addition, since the owners are from Venezuela, the use and role of color is important to the cohesiveness of the renovation.

The new varying ceiling section from front to rear of house - flat, sloped, high, low - accentuate the various activities of the program: entry, living, dining, and kitchen, along with the transition zone from existing to new space, each marked with color. The entry is defined by yellow walls, while the living room is white with colorful artwork.

The dining space’s sloped orange ceiling, with exposed wood joists, has a backdrop of tall wood doors that slide across the room into the kitchen, which has a bright blue wall fronted by the sliding blue walls of the office. The dropped ceiling, which is the transition between existing and new, is marked with color-changing LED strips. The various ceiling heights and use of color create a three-dimensional space within an otherwise simple block of volumes.

The rear expansion was added to the existing rectangular footprint of the house. The resulting addition is a series of volumes, which step out from the existing house based on function. The interior walls, which previously blocked natural light and views to the rear yard, were removed. This allows for front to rear visual and spatial connections. The addition’s new sliding doors and large windows, along with new skylights, bring abundant natural light into the previously dark interiors.

JURY COMMENTS (If applicable)

“Casa Venezuela’s interior design deserves special recognition as an example of adaptive reuse of an existing space. Its creative interior design surprises upon entering, with its spatial expansiveness, innovative introduction of light, materials, and color palette.” –Margi Nothard

MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Project PDF

IMAGES (Captions and Photographer Credit)
1. Rear Elevation © Greg Powers Photography
2. Rear Elevation © Greg Powers Photography
3. View from Entry © Greg Powers Photography
4. View towards Kitchen from Dining © Greg Powers Photography
5. View towards Office from Kitchen © Greg Powers Photography
6. View into Office from Kitchen © Greg Powers Photography
7. View of Kitchen from Office © Greg Powers Photography
8. Dining Room © Greg Powers Photography