2024 AIA Central Virginia Award of Merit in Residential Design
Old meets new: A 1940 house & a modern addition. The 24/40 House keeps an existing 1940 Colonial Revival structure front and center, while adding a distinctly modern 2024 addition. The details of the original house are celebrated, and the addition – while stylistically different – is designed with an emphasis on both material and visual connections throughout. The long, low addition appears modest and deferential from the street but dramatically transforms the interior with its minimally detailed cabinetry, floor-to-ceiling windows and views back to the 1940 structure. The result is a dialogue between old and new that creates a memorable series of experiences for the homeowners and their visitors.
A delicate integration of old and new structures honors the history and style of the original home, while not being held hostage by it. The addition is modestly set behind the original, allowing the 1940 structure to maintain its dignified street presence. Materiality is a common thread, with red brick and white trim defining the exterior surfaces of both.
Environmentally friendly and energy saving strategies are deployed throughout the project. Stormwater runoff is dramatically reduced by the pervious paving of the driveway and the reservoir beneath it. Wells for the geothermal heat pumps are located carefully along the narrow side yard. The original house envelope was completely re-insulated with new windows and doors installed throughout, while the rooftop solar arrays generate 63% of the home’s annual power needs.
Upon entering the original house, guests experience the ordered spaces and details of a 1940 home. The central, organizing axis of the project leads the eye from the traditional entry hall to a fountain and landscape beyond. Passing through the house, these darker, more compact spaces give way to a bright and airy family room, surrounded by lush landscaping.
An elevated screen porch off the main living space — usable for nine months of the year — allows for connection to the street life of the neighborhood.
The project accommodates a covered car park, bicycle storage, a new mudroom, and storage on the lower level.
Project Type:Residential
Size:4,670 sf
Collaborators:
Alexander Nicholson (General Contractor)
Gregg Bleam Landscape Architect (Landscape Architect)
Dunbar Structural (Structural Engineer)
Line and Grade (Civil Engineer)
Alana’s, Ltd. (Interior Designer)
Dark Light Design (Lighting Designer)
Photography:Lincoln Barbour Photo, LLC