coNext Home
Washington Metro Area
Rethinking the suburban home as an everyday “getaway”.
Challenged to design a home that fits within its small-lot zoning while also maintaining a sense of openness and connection to the surrounding landscape, the main living area was conceived of as “captured” space. The vaulted ceiling, wall of windows, and stone floor that extends outward to the exterior terrace, and connected by a see-through fireplace, help blur the line between inside and out. A defining element of this layout, the curved stone wall welcomes you at the front porch and pulls your gaze through the house and out to the rear yard where it creates the edge of a planting bed and reflecting pool that invites dappled sunlight to play across the interior surfaces.
While modern in concept, it was critical for the home to be integrated into its streetscape of traditional residences. Drawing from the vernacular palette of stone, stucco, and wood, along with a sloping roofline and extended beams, the home’s materials and detailing help knit the dwelling into the neighborhood's overall architectural fabric.
Carefully balancing work and home life was essential to its functional success.
Crafting the space for remote work, it was important to define a dedicated area that fostered concentration and productivity, while also enabling a smooth transition between work and home life. To facilitate this, a row of private rooms was laid out along the periphery of the ground floor, complete with a private entrance. As needs change, these rooms can be incorporated as part of the workspace, or used as overflow for the family, flexibly adapting over time.
The heart of the home was conceived as an outdoor courtyard, sheltered from the elements.
Desiring a home that captured the essence of a weekend getaway, the family area was thoughtfully planned for casual living with a strong connection to the surrounding outdoors. The expansive windows frame unobstructed views of the landscaped vistas that were designed around the property, while the uniform stone flooring, extending from the front porch through the main space and out to the side patio, weaves these spaces into a harmonious whole. Further enhancing the experience, a dual-sided fireplace allows for shared moments both within the house and out in the open air.
The heart of the home was conceived as an outdoor courtyard, sheltered from the elements.
Desiring a home that captured the essence of a weekend getaway, the family area was thoughtfully planned for casual living with a strong connection to the surrounding outdoors. The expansive windows frame unobstructed views of the landscaped vistas that were designed around the property, while the uniform stone flooring, extending from the front porch through the main space and out to the side patio, weaves these spaces into a harmonious whole. Further enhancing the experience, a dual-sided fireplace allows for shared moments both within the house and out in the open air.
The upper-level hallway serves as a private balcony, allowing a glimpse into the activities below.
A quiet area, featuring a line of compact, efficiently laid-out, bedrooms and bathrooms, was set aside from the home’s primary social space. Mirroring its aesthetics and detailing, these smaller rooms have vaulted ceilings and expansive windows that give them a feeling of spacious that far exceeds their actual size.
We wanted to create a home that embraced the new remote-work lifestyle but also preserved a space for the family to gather and interact with each other and the landscape around them.
— Carib & Gabriela