When Maryland-based firm McInturff Architects was asked to design a substantial addition to a small brick house, it reorganized various pieces of the structure to create a home with a courtyard as its centerpiece.
Using the original structure/form to use as the foundation for the bedrooms, a new wing was constructed that features open living areas for sitting, dining, and cooking. The old house and new wing each form two sides of the central courtyard, a carport marks the third, and a rusted steel wall creates the fourth. A pool, a deer–proof garden, and a screened porch sit in the courtyard.
A folding glass wall between the dining room and the screened porch allows the homeowners to expand the living area to accommodate large get-togethers. A 45-foot-long passage, connecting the bedrooms with the new living spaces, serves as a gallery for the client’s art collection. A loft sits above the living spaces, providing a retreat with a view.
The exterior of the house is a mix of black-painted brick, corrugated metal, steel and mahogany. These elements continue to the interior of the house, along with black concrete counter tops and stainless steel appliances. Much of the wing juts into the surrounding forest, maximizing the views and expanding the courtyard.
McInturff Architects received an Honor Award in the 2015 AIAMD Design Awards for this project.