Before
A dilapidated row house in DC’s gentrifying Shaw neighborhood desperately needed an overhaul. Architect Will Couch was tapped to create a light-filled, modern home; his plan transformed the stairwell from dark and cramped to bright and beautiful.
Then | Now |
The switchback staircase was narrow and inconveniently blocked off from the rest of the space by walls. | The wide staircase faces the entry and is centrally located. The walls around it have been removed, creating an open floor plan. |
There was no line of sight from the front entry to the back door, so the house felt closed off and dark. | It’s easy to see around the stairs to the back of the house, where glass doors opening out to the backyard admit natural light. |
The stairs were an eyesore, with a rickety old wood railing. | The clean-lined staircase combines blocks of wood and a glass railing that emphasize their sculptural shape. |
The stairs were too narrow and closed off to admit light from the second floor. | Two skylights above the stairwell bathe the main floor in natural light. |
Renovation Architecture: Will Couch, AIA, LEED AP, Foundry Architects, LLC , Washington, DC. Builder: Washington Landmark, Washington, DC. Photography: Stacy Zarin Goldberg.