Situated high above the Potomac, with breathtaking views of the river below, this property called for a bold design to match the drama of the site. The owners wanted to replace the 1970’s house, originally set far back on the lot, with an ambitious new structure placed right on the property’s ridgeline. The design needed to evoke the owners’ aviation interests and incorporate their requirements for an open floor plan that took full advantage of the views and for single-level living that would allow aging in place. Adapting Roman classical precedent to modern design, we created a focal axis with a soaring barrel vault to answer the clients’ needs. Evocative of airplane hangers, the metal-roofed central vault anchors the house with dramatic river views while offering structural support for the expansive horizontal volumes of an open floor plan designed for the living room, dining room, and kitchen. An elegant gallery off the front entry leads to the primary suite with a private balcony overlooking the river below. A wood-block glass-and-steel staircase and a catwalk act as a sculptural intervention in the front hall, emphasizing the open modernity of the interior and the dramatic elements of the house. The staircase leads to the apex of the primary vaulted space in the second story office and to the guest suite and gym, with their own private views of the landscape beyond, nestled below. Every main room has its own unexpected view of the river, views not revealed immediately upon entry to the house, but discovered as part of the intentional dramatic emphasis on the land and water.

Photography by Gordon Beall