Overlook: A Modern Family House on the Potomac River

Project Details

Project Description

This new home overlooking the Potomac, designed for a young and energetic family, offers both interior and exterior space for entertaining and recreation. Folding door panel systems at both the front and rear create seamless transitions from inside to outside. These doors, along with expansive areas of glass allow the interior space to extend outside, both physically and visually; taking advantage of the house’s position high on a bluff. Tower elements provide changing views of the river from various elevations and vantage points. Overlapping volumes and glazed corners break down the scale on the exterior, while allowing residents to truly connect with the surrounding environment. This natural warmth is mimicked on the interior through the use of wood floors, stained wood wall planking and stone fire places. The natural look of the wood and stone is accented by glass and metal, complementing the home’s modern layout. The open stair, with laminated white oak treads and steel structure is bathed in sunlight coming in from a four story curtain wall. The light bounces of the wood wall planking and continues into the heart of the home. The stair is a visible presence throughout the house. The effortless flow of the house and visual connectivity is perfect for this young family. Corners of rooms overlap and flow into one another, drawing residents from room to room. Intersecting spaces with variable scales create areas for family gathering as well as personal reflection. Spaces are defined not only by walls, but instead by light and materiality, reinforcing the surrounding environment, which is ever present in this house on the bluff.