Julia Heine
The judges marveled at the stand-alone screened porch on this Potomac, Md., project. Supported by steel stilts, it sits in the woods behind the house, at the end of a boardwalk-like bridge. “The issue with screened porches is, they tend to darken whatever they’re next to,” says architect Mark McInturff, who has considered designing a similar porch at his own house for years. “So we came up with the idea of hurling this thing into the trees.”
The porch wasn’t the only part of the building that appealed to the judges. “It’s a beautiful house,” said one. “It’s not ostentatious.” The L-shaped floor plan efficiently defines the entry court. “There’s a contrast between the enclosure by the L and, once you’re inside the house, the expansion out into the woods,” says McInturff. Clerestory windows on the front elevation usher in southern light, while bracketed eaves over them preserve the owners’ privacy. Exterior components such as vertical red cedar siding and standing-seam zinc roofs relate to local horse farms and agricultural structures. And the judicious application of color inside accentuates the home’s dynamic spatiality.
Project Credits
Entrant/Architect: McInturff Architects, Bethesda, Md.
Builder: Wood Visions Construction, Damascus, Md.
Living space: 7,100 square feet
Site: .7 acre
Construction cost: Withheld
Photographer: Julia Heine
Resources: Bathroom plumbing fittings/fixtures: Hansa and Kohler; Bathroom/kitchen cabinets: Christiana; Dishwasher: Miele; Fireplace: Majestic; Garbage disposer: In-Sink-Erator; Hardware: Omnia; HVAC equipment: Carrier; Insulation: Owens Corning; Kitchen plumbing fixtures: Elkay and Kohler; Lighting fixtures: Lightolier, Shaper, and Stonco; Oven: Gaggenau; Paints: Benjamin Moore; Patio doors/windows: Pella; Refrigerator: Sub-Zero; Skylights: Velux.
