The Spanish eclectic abode at the corner of New Broad and Juel streets doesn't look like a high-tech house. Its undulating arches and trademark campanile could have just as easily been conceived during the classical revival period of the 1920s and 1930s, or as an even earlier homage to Mediterranean forms. On the inside, however, this home's unlikely marriage of Old World grace and New World efficiency is unique—and, in large part, what makes it a treasure.

WELCOME HOME: The homes front entry, carved into the elbow of an intimate court, is flanked by stone fountains and wrought-iron lamps. Its splayed stone surround provides a dramatic frame for a 9-foot, hand-carved, knotty alder door.
James F. Wilson WELCOME HOME: The homes front entry, carved into the elbow of an intimate court, is flanked by stone fountains and wrought-iron lamps. Its splayed stone surround provides a dramatic frame for a 9-foot, hand-carved, knotty alder door.
LOGGIA RHYTHM: The front elevation's handsome arcade, complete with stone Corinthian columns, provides protection from the elements and a sense of arrival. At the terminus of the arcade is a round-topped door leading to the first-floor library—a space that could easily serve as a home office with its own business entrance.
James F. Wilson LOGGIA RHYTHM: The front elevation's handsome arcade, complete with stone Corinthian columns, provides protection from the elements and a sense of arrival. At the terminus of the arcade is a round-topped door leading to the first-floor library—a space that could easily serve as a home office with its own business entrance.
GOOD SIDES: Spanish eclectic forms make for fine four-sided architecture, says residential designer Bobby Morales. The home's rich interplay of solids and voids creates visual interest from various angles, making it a worthy landmark for a corner lot.
James F. Wilson GOOD SIDES: Spanish eclectic forms make for fine four-sided architecture, says residential designer Bobby Morales. The home's rich interplay of solids and voids creates visual interest from various angles, making it a worthy landmark for a corner lot.
WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY: Light filters into the house via windows from Hurd Windows & Doors. Specified in casement, circle top, and direct-set styles, the brick-red aluminum-clad wood windows feature pine interiors, but the company also offers standard, special, and custom exterior colors and nine interior wood species. The units also feature insulated glass, divided lites, and oil-rubbed hardware.
James F. Wilson WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY: Light filters into the house via windows from Hurd Windows & Doors. Specified in casement, circle top, and direct-set styles, the brick-red aluminum-clad wood windows feature pine interiors, but the company also offers standard, special, and custom exterior colors and nine interior wood species. The units also feature insulated glass, divided lites, and oil-rubbed hardware.
PROPER TOPPER: The InSync Home is topped by concrete roof tile manufactured by MonierLifetile. Weather resistant and strong, the tiles are made from a combination of sand, cement, water, and pigments for color. The tiles can contribute to savings in the cost of energy used in the home, the maker says. MonierLifetile.
James F. Wilson PROPER TOPPER: The InSync Home is topped by concrete roof tile manufactured by MonierLifetile. Weather resistant and strong, the tiles are made from a combination of sand, cement, water, and pigments for color. The tiles can contribute to savings in the cost of energy used in the home, the maker says. MonierLifetile.
GRAND ENTRANCE: An entry door tells a lot about a house. This one from Old World Door speaks to craftsmanship. Carved to match the radius of the rotunda, the handcrafted door is made from kiln-dried alder and features mortise-and-tenon construction and a speakeasy window for a touch of whimsy. Weather-stripping and a hardwood oak threshold provide protection from water. It is specified in a Tuscany distress dark fruitwood stain.
James F. Wilson GRAND ENTRANCE: An entry door tells a lot about a house. This one from Old World Door speaks to craftsmanship. Carved to match the radius of the rotunda, the handcrafted door is made from kiln-dried alder and features mortise-and-tenon construction and a speakeasy window for a touch of whimsy. Weather-stripping and a hardwood oak threshold provide protection from water. It is specified in a Tuscany distress dark fruitwood stain.
GET A HANDLE: A Baldwin Edinburgh entry handleset by Black & Decker Hardware and Home Improvement is an ideal complement to the rustic entry door. Made from solid brass, the product is pick-resistant and kick-proof. It is shown in a black finish here, but a variety of other finishes are available.
James F. Wilson GET A HANDLE: A Baldwin Edinburgh entry handleset by Black & Decker Hardware and Home Improvement is an ideal complement to the rustic entry door. Made from solid brass, the product is pick-resistant and kick-proof. It is shown in a black finish here, but a variety of other finishes are available.

“Technology is so often equated with modernism,” says residential designer Bobby Morales, of Morales-Keesee Design Associates. “This house proves that the most cutting-edge technology can peacefully coexist and work in harmony with classical architecture. Why does technology have to be cold? We believe that in studying the grand styles of the past, new places can be created to bring beauty and delight back into our lives.”

Built on a series of proportional axes, the home's vernacular style is marked by deep-set windows, romantic colonnades, cantilevered balconies, muscular stone corbels, and wrought-iron “rejas” (window grilles). It's got the sculptural presence of a venerable Spanish casa, but with the added benefit of no-fuss exterior materials and minimal yard maintenance, thanks to a short setback in front, native landscaping, and a fully amenitized backyard.

Builders Kim Goehring and Chris Morgan used every inch of the 110-foot-by-130-foot lot. The house includes 6,598 square feet of conditioned space, plus 676 square feet of outdoor living space.

Click here for "Transparent Technology," the next article in this series.