Black White Residence, Bethesda, Md.

Black White Residence

david jameson architect, alexandria, va.

Our judges were impressed by how this house by David Jameson, FAIA, pays homage to classical modernism. One cited its “control over the interior spaces,” adding “the way the glass boxes emerge from the plinth below is quite skillful.”

The existing slab-on-grade post-war rambler had seen many additions over the years and was, in Jameson’s estimation, a chaotic mess. So he razed most of the structure—retaining just enough to keep the budget in check—and added a second level. “The intent was to visually create this plinth from which glass volumes would emerge,” he explains. Each of the four boxes contains separate functions: a double-height living room, a double-height dining room, a master suite, and the children’s bedrooms, respectively.

Inside, the finishes are as restrained as the house itself: white walls, black storefront framing, wood casework, dark cementitious floors on the first level, and wood flooring on the second level. “The house is conceptually simple—black played against white, positive played against negative,” Jameson says.

Project Credits
principal in charge: David Jameson, FAIA, David Jameson Architect, www.davidjamesonarchitect.com
project designer: Christopher Cabacar, David Jameson Architect
general contractor: Michael T. Puskar, M.T. Puskar Construction Co., Manassas, Va., www.mtpuskar.com
structural engineer: David Linton, P.E., Linton Engineering, Potomac Falls, Va.
project size: 5,500 square feet
site size: 1.06 acres
construction cost: Withheld
photography: Paul Warchol