Faced in gray brick tiles with a rounded exterior, the Split Level House was built by the award-winning Philadelphia design studio Qb on a vacant corner in the city’s Northern Liberties neighborhood, a district that has recently become known as an artists’ enclave filled with edgy galleries, eclectic restaurants, and alternative bars.

The highly contemporary architecture of the three-story house makes a striking statement on a block lined with typical redbrick rowhouses. Although designed for a growing family, the structure features a number of large recessed glass windows that face the street, and polished concrete, sleek wood, and steel were predominantly used in the overall construction of the building.

On the inside of the house, the most intriguing design innovation is without a doubt the split levels that connect each of the three floors via mezzanines, which give the sense that there are six different levels. The ground floor houses the garage and entrance followed by the living and dining areas and kitchen right above on the second level. From there, a series of sitting areas dot the mezzanines before reaching the bedrooms, bathrooms, and outdoor terrace with sweeping views on the upper two floors.

Glass windows are used on almost all sides of the white-walled house, providing abundant natural sunlight inside, and a carefully selected mix of clean-lined and mid-century furnishings are evenly distributed throughout the spaces to ensure efficient traffic flow.

Posted by Sebastien D. at 9 April, 2011

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