On Urban Turf: Modern Green Reno on Capitol Hill
May 26, 2010 by Jennifer
Filed under Architecture
I posted a story on DC Urban Turf this week on a gorgeous green renovation of a 19th-century row house on Capitol Hill, courtesy of Studio 27 Architecture. For details on Juan Felipe Rincon and RC Bates, the owners behind the renovation, please see the post here.
To whet your appetite, check out a few pictures (most of which didn’t run in the other post), which the talented Anice Hoachlander shot of the ultra modern space that hides behind a demure federal facade.
Rincon and Bates insisted on keeping the original exterior intact. "We didn't want to be THOSE guys," Rincon told me.
Now, step inside:
I love the freestanding "fireplace" that divides the living and dining areas.
The orange accent wall inside is reapeated in the rear, where the modern architecture really shines.
The wood slats are an attractive architectural feature from the outside, and they also provide privacy for the bedroom behind them.
Indirect natural light also flows nicely into the bath, where the bamboo cabinets warm the concrete that surrounds them.
For all the green details (efficient uses of light and ventilation; green materials throughout; solar-powered heating), see the post over at Urban Turf, where I interviewed Studio 27 architect Hans Kuhn, who masterminded the design.
Jennifer Sergent. Native Washingtonian. Former editor at Washington Spaces magazine and HGTV. Currently searching for – and writing about – DC’s design voices. Write to me @
Wow. I think my jaw may have literally dropped when I scrolled down from that first exterior shot to the living room shot. I love that they maintained the integrity of the exterior (on the front), but even more – I love how clean and open the interior is, especially the bedroom and the bathroom.
WOW…that is gorgeous! The photography is wonderful, too!
That’s amazing. I saw this house when it was in the midst of it being demo’ed. I talked briefly with the owners about incorporating some of the old floorboards into a piece of furniture. I am really impressed with how this project turned out.
Jane: One of our few instructions to Studio27 was they not make significant changes to the facade of the house. Although we are not in the Capitol Hill Historic District, we are very close. The front door and exterior LED light are clearly modern, but we did put gold-leaf house numbers back in the transom (after these pictures were taken).
Art D: Yes, we did save some of the floorboards in an effort to make a dining room table. Unfortunately that didn’t work. We haven’t decided what to do with the panels made from the floor boards.
RC, you might want to show your boards to one of two great woodworkers in the area — they both make house calls:
Caleb Woodard: http://www.calebwoodardfurniture.com
Kaleo Kala: http://www.kala-studios.com
any idea of the total cost of renovation?