torti gallas and partners / chk, silver spring, md.
Kentlands, a Neo-Traditional community on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., just keeps on winning accolades–for its master planners, Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co. (DPZ), and for the architects who’ve followed their guidelines.
Torti Gallas and Partners/CHK have designed several phases in the 350-acre development, including the recent Charleston II, which our judges awarded a certificate of merit.
When project architect Maurice Walters, AIA, went looking for design inspiration for this cluster of four-story detached townhouses, he turned to another DPZ community, Seaside, Fla. The template helped him scale the tall homes properly, and he used some of the same elements–porches, several patterns of siding, solidly trimmed fenestration–to bring them down to size.
The judges admired the homes’ deft detailing, even more impressive because of their moderate price range. The houses have sold swiftly, appealing to childless professionals and those with young families seeking what Walters calls a “light urban experience.”
Project Architect: Maurice Walters, AIA, Torti Gallas and Partners/CHK
Land Planner: Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co., Gaithersburg, Md.
Developer: Great Seneca Development Corp., Gaithersburg
General Contractor: Mitchell and Best, Rockville, Md.
Landscape Architect: Lawrence Reader Associates, Burtonsville, Md.
Project Size: 2,000 square feet per unit
Site Size: 7 acres
Construction Cost: $56 per square foot
Sales Price: $195,000 to $260,000 per unit
Units in Project: 15
Photography: Courtesy Torti Gallas and Partners/CHK
