"The trick was creating light and access to views of nature while protecting the clients’ privacy from neighbors."
—Adam McGraw
| A compartmentalized, single-story interior plan on a tight lot was cramped and dark. | StudioMB added on a second floor to accommodate bedrooms, making way for an airy, open-plan main level. A second-story lightbox, visible in back, illuminates the interiors. |
| The front door was centered in a niche that felt like wasted space. Windows in the wrong locations left the house overly exposed to close-by neighbors on two sides. Traditional, slanted rooflines were boring. | The front door shifted to one side, creating room for a walled center garden; a new, glass-framed front door conveys a modern sensibility. Flat, contemporary rooflines complement tall windows that let in light but maintain privacy. |
| The red-brick façade and contrasting white trim were uninspiring. | The red brick was freshened up with creamy white paint; the second story is clad in vertical cypress panels in a light finish that reinforces a connection to the outdoors. |
Renovation Architecture: Adam McGraw, AIA, StudioMB, Washington, DC. Renovation Contractor: WWK Construction LLC, Bethesda, Maryland. Landscape Architecture: Campion Hruby Landscape Architects, Annapolis, Maryland.
