See-Through House

Project Details

Project Description

The Owners of this traditional Washington row house desired a space of openness and light: “un petit bijou.” The architect’s challenge was to completely transform the narrow, dark building with almost no natural light, into a modern light-filled space. In order to achieve this, a simple floor plan was established, with no dividing walls and all programmatic elements running along the party walls. Glass floors are aligned on every level as a transparent “volume of light,” piercing the roof and creating a tapestry of solid and void inside the house. Floor plates are fully functional, allowing light and views to run vertically unobstructed throughout the house. The large glass openings provide such a vast amount of natural light that there is very little need for artificial light sources. Through simple ceiling fans and natural cross-ventilation, air moves freely through the space, requiring very little mechanical ventilation. LED lighting lines the perimeter of the glass openings, so they glow at night. In addition to sustainable systems, “green” materials include bamboo flooring and no-VOC paint.