When charged with designing a waterfront retreat on a narrow lot facing the Severn River, architect Melanie Hartwig-Davis got creative. She replaced a 1930s fishing shack with a multi-level, 20-foot-wide structure boasting views at every turn. The house is perched atop a terraced landscape that descends towards the water via ipe decks bordered by stainless-steel cable rails that retain a sense of openness. At water level, Hartwig-Davis transformed a former well house into a 14-by-24-foot, ipe-clad game room that affords easy access to the dock—and an intimate water view. Accessible through a 10-foot-wide NanaWall system, “it’s a true man cave,” says the architect. “It maximizes waterfront storage and provides an oasis on hot summer days.”
Architecture & Interior Design: Melanie Hartwig-Davis, AIA, LEED AP, BD+C, HD Squared Architects, LLC, Edgewater, Maryland. Contractor: Bayard Galey, Bayard Construction, Bowie, Maryland. Landscape Design: McHale Landscape Design, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
