This master suite addition to a 1950s three-bedroom house in Bethesda, Maryland successfully honors the unique character of the home as one of the only modern residences in the neighborhood. The solid front façade of the house contrasts dramatically with the rear, which opens onto the garden with a long expanse of sliding glass doors on two floors. Avid gardeners, the owners wished to relocate the master suite away from the front of the house to enjoy views of the lush garden at the rear.

The master bedroom is an intimate jewel box that draws its occupants over, onto, and into the landscape as it emerges from a solid concrete mass. The addition contains the master bath, dressing closet, and master bedroom on the second floor with a storage/ workshop area on the ground floor. Echoing the transparent rear façade of the existing house, an east wall of glass floods the bedroom with light, while clerestory windows and punched openings expose intriguing views to the outside - evoking a room afloat in the trees.  

This clean, simple addition truly completes the modern transformation of the house.  As a final touch, the carport at front was added in 2006. Translucent paneling and a raw steel beam framework hint at the materiality of the new addition and achieves the clients’ vision for a modern residence.

2007 Award of Merit    American Institute of Architects Washington DC Chapter