Salt and Pepper House / Kube Architecture – 【Architectural CAD Drawings】

Architects: Kube Architecture
Location: Washington D. C., United States
Lead Architects: Richard Loosle Ortega, Janet Bloomberg
Area: 2500.0 ft2
Project Year: 2015
Photographs: Greg Powers

Text description provided by the architects. The Owners, a couple in their mid-70’s, purchased this home to start their lives together. They got engaged after they bought the house, and got married in the house while it was under construction. They love to cook and collect art, so the palette of white walls and black steel is both a metaphor for salt and pepper, as well as a setting for framing their artwork. Pops of color highlight the colors in their art collection.

The house is organized around a central core containing service spaces, which creates a seamless flow along the perimeter, with major spaces facing front and back. The existing house was stripped down to its basic elements: brick walls, structural framing members, and outdoor space. The rear second floor was removed to create a two-story living/dining room facing the rear garden. Steel structure was inserted to allow for a full glass wall to the rear. The kitchen sits at the center of the house facing the garden, and an indoor-outdoor dining table with bench (both custom-designed by the architect) create a strong interdependence of cooking, eating, and enjoying the outdoor space. A Corten steel fountain provides the calming sound of water.

Aging in place was an important design factor. An elevator is concealed within the central core, and all circulation routes are wide enough for a wheelchair. The master bathroom has custom stainless grab bars and an open shower for roll-in access.