New Life in the Suburbs

CASA ABIERTA

The Owners are from Costa Rica. After the second meeting, their second child was born. At the third meeting, their house was filled with family and friends, a common occurrence in their home. The suburban box did not at all fit their lifestyle.  It was closed, dark, and divided into very small rooms.  They said that there was not one space in which they felt comfortable. They wanted a house of openness and light, where their children could be free to explore and play independently, still within view of their parents. The solution was to create a courtyard house, with large sliding glass doors to bring the inside out and outside in.  The existing house was completely opened up, and a cathedral ceiling created in the living room.  Programmatically, two new wings were added : kitchen/dining and master suite.  Ipe hardwood from the deck continues into the central space, creating warmth and texture at the heart of the house.

Projects: Greenvale

KUBE is working with a young family in Bethesda to reconfigure a 1960’s era rambler into an open, light-filled, modern space. The oddly-configured, three bedroom home is being transformed through the addition of two “wings” that will create an open courtyard in the back.  This is a major renovation project that includes the removal of interior walls and the ceiling over the front living room.

The previously divided kitchen, dining room and living room are being transformed into an open floor plan with large windows and doors to the new rear courtyard from Western Window systems. The clients are from Central America and love the idea of minimal finishes with lots of texture, including walls of concrete block, stained concrete floors, viroc, and exposed steel.  An outside deck made of ipe connects to the kitchen and kids' play room, with the material running from outside to inside. Completion is scheduled for this spring or early summer –  more updates soon!