The homeowners of this project, both astute art collectors and architecture aficionados, were interested in designing a renovation and addition to their home, which is one of the most recognizable modern residential projects in the DC metro area. Designed by Robert Gurney, the original glass and steel home included a two-car garage and a gravel wraparound driveway. The homeowners viewed both areas as opportunities for a new dining room and an exterior garden space.
MODE4 Architecture converted the existing garage space into a new dining room/ art gallery, and reimagined the existing gravel driveway as a new Japanese moss garden with the help of Landscape architect, Scott Pitner. The new dining room looks out onto the moss garden and a sculpture green in the distance. The garden design pulls from the modular grid and finish pallet of the original exterior structure and weaves the natural landscape through its underlying rigid geometry. Chris designed a new procession to the main front entrance, leading the user through the moss garden via a steel and wooden bridge, allowing the homeowners to experience this contemplative space daily, as they come and go.
Photos by Hoachlander Davis Photography
View from existing main entry showing new moss garden with cedar bridge leading to the carport and its wall of cedar-finished pivot doors. A sculpture lightbox is shown to the left of the cedar wall. The new dining room and patio are visible on the left of the image.
View from the dining room patio through the moss garden toward the sculpture terrace in the distance. The carport with its cedar wall and walkway is visible on the left.
The carport’s cedar wall is shown here with its pivot doors in the open position, allowing guests to circulate through the exterior spaces
View from the new carport showing the moss garden with cedar bridge leading to the existing house and main entrance.
View showing interior of new dining room converted from the existing garage, with view out toward carport and moss garden
Detail image of millwork in new dining room.
View from the dining room out toward moss garden and sculpture terrace beyond. A new window/door system has replaced the original garage doors.
View through the new dining room with pivot door in the open position showing the connection to the main circulation spine of the existing house.
View from carport walkway across the new dining room patio toward the existing house. New dining room is visible on the right. A new window/door system has replaced the original garage doors.
View from the driveway looking into the new carport, which was designed as a post-COVID solution to accommodate outdoor gatherings.
View showing the carport’s cedar pivot doors in the open position with a view of the moss garden, bridge, and main house beyond.
Detail image of niche in the carport wall.
View of carport and garage addition in context. Existing main house is visible in the background.
The coronavirus pandemic underscored the need for dedicated home offices and moments of retreat within the domestic environment. PERCH responds to these evolving patterns of living by elevating—both literally and conceptually—the home office and primary suite into a defined destinations within the most valuable spatial zones of the house.
This two-story addition introduces a modern counterpoint to the original traditional structure, using contrast to clarify the evolution of the home. A key organizing move was the creation of a cantilevered upper volume—a “hovering box”—which extends beyond the ground floor footprint to provide a sheltered terrace space below. Positioned at the tree canopy level, this upper volume offers elevated views across the rear garden and beyond, reinforcing a connection to the landscape while maintaining privacy.
The new primary bedroom sits within this volume and is shaped by a vaulted ceiling and clerestory glazing that modulate daylight throughout the day. Light becomes a defining element in the space, animating the surfaces and heightening the sense of openness.
At the center of the plan, a new steel stair introduces a warmer modern language into the home’s core. It serves as a visual and functional transition between the existing traditional architecture and the more contemporary expression of the addition—most notably the mudroom and second-floor office suite.
A double-height glass and steel enclosure anchors the rear of the house. On the ground level, it frames a new mudroom with custom floor-to-ceiling white oak armoire cabinetry. Above, the impetus for the project, the second-floor office space is outfitted with built-in desk and shelving, and opens onto a new roof deck that provides an additional outdoor space immersed in the tree canopy.
Set on a bluff overlooking the Potomac River, this custom home is located south of Mount Vernon, on land featuring two historic property markers related to George Washington’s tenure in the area. The design draws inspiration from Washington’s historic stone Gristmill, with its own a crisp modern interpretation. The two main stone structures are connected by a multi-level glass and steel connector, allowing views to the river beyond. The site will feature an English garden, a pool, terraced landscaping with bright shading foliage, and a side patio.
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A transformative architectural project, aiming to breathe new life into a single-family home. The first phase involves strategic demolition of portions of the roof, exterior walls, existing master suite, and a part of the kitchen.
The renovation will usher in a host of new features. On the first floor, we’re designing a formal foyer, an office, a master stairwell, and a family room. We’re also incorporating two mudrooms, a parlor, a dining room, and two pantries, one of which will include a wet bar. The first floor will also feature an informal foyer, a main stairwell, a powder room, and a three-car garage with additional storage space.
Moving up to the second floor, we’re creating a luxurious master suite with an attached bath, a laundry room, a bridge, another family room, a powder room, a storage room, and a guest suite.
The site will also see significant enhancements, including a rear patio and an HVAC system. The existing unit will continue to serve the existing home, and a new unit will be added to serve the garage addition.
This project is a testament to our commitment to transforming spaces while enhancing functionality and aesthetics.
The visual connection, being surrounded by nature, and the relationship between the parts all matter. By blending the pathway, the landscape, and finally the house, we were able to achieve the goal of creating several connections between the landscape and the house itself. Actually, this connection begins at the entrance, emphasizing how this separation and connection started there.
The project is a transformative architectural endeavor. It commences with interior demolitions, followed by the creation of a conditioned crawl space in the basement. The first floor sees a conversion of garage space into a bathroom and kitchen, along with the addition of a family room. A new second floor is added, housing a master suite, bedrooms, and an office. The project concludes with the construction of a new roof for the second-floor addition.
Every element of this project, from the conditioned crawl space in the basement to the new additions on the first and second floors, has been meticulously planned and executed. The result is a beautifully combined space that is not just a house, but a home. The “Gast” project is a perfect example of how great design can transform spaces into a cohesive, comfortable, and stylish living environment.
Located in Arlington Virginia, a young couple with two children we’re looking for a way to bring more natural light into the interior spaces of their Arlington brick colonial. MODE4 designed a modern solution that carved openings into existing walls, converted the existing stairwell into a “light-well” by redesigning the stairs and adding a skylight above. A small addition was designed for the rear of the home; it included a bump out and deck adjoining the family room, and the mud room was rotated to allow for a future driveway and detached garage.
Photos by Hoachlander Davis Photography
The impetus for this basement renovation was the need for a space that could serve both as a place for growing teenagers to entertain their friends, as well as a guest-suite for visiting friends and family. The program also included a laundry room, full bathroom, and mechanical room.
When MODE4 Architecture was hired to design the space, the original 620 SF basement had already been completely gutted except for an existing laundry chute. The chute extends from the second floor through a first floor chase-wall, and could not be relocated. The chute, along with existing steel columns and stair opening, determined the location for the laundry room, and influenced circulation and surrounding spaces.
We were able to maintain a sense of openness in a relatively small space by incorporating a two-sided open bookcase to separate the main living space from the back hall. The two-sided bookcase offers a filtered view to and from the back hall, allowing the space to feel open while supplying some privacy for the service areas. A stand-alone entertainment center acts as a room divider, with a TV wall on one side and a gallery wall on the opposite side. In addition, the ceiling height over the main space was made to feel taller by exposing the floor joists above.
Christopher Tucker, Design Principal
An exciting project in Alexandria, where our goal is to create a harmonious blend of comfort, functionality, and modern aesthetics. The design centers around a light-filled, open-concept kitchen that seamlessly connects to the family and dining areas. We’re also focusing on enhancing the outdoor living experience, with plans for a new addition that maximizes glass usage for better visual connectedness to the exterior spaces. A key part of our project is the development of an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) that not only provides additional living space but also complements the main house. We’re addressing unique challenges such as high water tables and zoning restrictions, and are committed to delivering a design that aligns with the owners’ preferences and lifestyle needs.
Located in Alexandria, VA, the existing house was a one-story brick front with living spaces on the first floor and a second story (attic) with two small bedrooms and very limited headroom. The project design removes the existing roof and attic space and adds a new second floor. The second floor has two bedrooms, a Jack-and-Jill bathroom, a third bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, and a master suite with a vaulted bedroom ceiling. The first-floor addition expands the family room to the rear, adds a large kitchen, and adds a screened cabin attached to the house with a stone patio.
Photos by Hoachlander Davis Photography
This project is a new 2,500 SF house designed on a back-to-front sloping lot in Arlington, VA. The client is a family looking to build a home for their “empty-nest” years and beyond. The design incorporates Age-In-Place concepts to allow for future growth into retirement years. However, the natural sloping topography and project construction budget posed some challenges for the single-story-living design goal. To address the challenge that climbing stairs impose on aging knees, the building’s massing and interior plans are designed around a future elevator shaft and light-well. Until the time an elevator is required, the shaft will remain a large lightwell with glass flooring used to bring natural light deep into the interior spaces. The lightwell is designed with a “knock-out” floor structure to easily transform into an elevator shaft when needed. The homeowner will access the elevator through the basement/garage area to avoid stair-climbing.
- Age-In-Place living was addressed through the incorporation of many strategies, including the following examples:
- Open floor plan
- Floor-to-ceiling windows
- Wide doorways
- Zero-threshold entries
-Lever door handles
- Laundry closet within main sleeping suite
- Front-load washer and dryer
- Pull-out kitchen pantries
- Roll-in shower with a shower bench and handheld sprayer
- Exterior gathering spaces with minimal steps down to grade
This is a two-story modern addition to an existing eclectic cottage located in Falls Church, Virginia. The addition houses a master suite on the second floor and a kitchen and family room on the first floor. Extensive renovation in portions of the existing house was also part of the project scope.
The original house had been added onto over the years in a series of rambling additions, with varying traditional massing and gabled roof planes. This new addition is a flat roof addition, deferring to the multi full roof slopes, yet creating its own identity. Two sides of the new addition have floor to ceiling windows looking out onto the patio and inground swimming pool.
Christopher Tucker, Design Principal
