Successfully contesting the local preservation ordinance whose strict guidelines advocated stylistic mimicry while failing to recognize the neighborhood’s rich architectural diversity, Johnsen-Schmaling Architects designed a quiet but unapologetically contemporary building, its formally restrained volume discreetly placed in the back of the trapezoidal site, where it avoids direct visual competition with its two dignified neighbors, a hundred-year old Spanish Colonial home and the Ely House from 1896, a cherished landmark on the National Register of Historic Places”. Composed of two main building blocks, the residence accommodates the private spaces (bedrooms, bathrooms, reading room) in the cedar volume, while the public functions (garage, open living space) are located within the brick base. The modern interiors offer expansive neighborhood views and inspire a healthy lifestyle.

Posted by Keren Fathi-Poor at 4 October, 2012

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