“A tough problem to solve,” said the judges of this 1910 foursquare. The new owners wanted a substantial expansion to accommodate their family of six while also preserving the original home's character. The home did grow — from 3,350 square feet to 4,847 square feet. Yet it looks more authentic, thanks in part to the cedar siding that replaced the dingy white vinyl. “So what if they didn't keep it a foursquare?” the judges said.
Architect Gregory Wiedemann designed the addition as a hipped pavilion linked to the original structure by wider lap siding and wood. Not only do these materials “acknowledge the transition architecturally,” the judges noted, but they diminish the addition's mass.
Organized around a south-facing side, the addition extends the foursquare language using appropriate colors, trim, and materials. All existing rooms also required renovation, and while the kitchen and the powder room were relocated, the judges liked that “they brought it all up to standard without brutalizing it.” Even some of the “new” materials were old, including antique heart pine floors.
Category: Old-house renovation, over $300,000
Location: Arlington, Va.
Contractor: Jim Waters, Clairstone Construction, Arlington, Va.
Designer: Gregory Wiedemann and Felix Gonzalez, Wiedemann Architects, Bethesda, Md.
Kitchen designer: Glenda Powers, Bethesda Design Group, Glen Echo, Md.
Structural engineer: Frank Chow, Structron Engineering, Rockville, Md.
