SMALLTIMORE. A Heart and Home. Broad View of Living Small broadhurst architects

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Howard Cannon
6 years ago
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1 A Heart and Home one man s mission to living efficiently Broad View of Living Small broadhurst architects A Look at Maison Objet the ultimate home furnishings trade show in paris MAY 2012 SMALLTIMORE small homes - the backbone of baltimore

MYHOUS When business manager Jan Angevine, decided to trade her apartment life for a newly renovated row house, she turned to a local Baltimore architect to head the renovation project.

2 MYHOUS When business manager Jan Angevine, decided to trade her apartment life for a newly renovated row house, she turned to a local Baltimore architect to head the renovation project. SWELL HOUSE by patricia mines designer: brennan architects and company size: 660 square feet photography: anne gummerson rohous With a modest budget of $110,000, Angevine approached architect Rob Brennan and his team at Brennan + Company Architects in Ellicott City to design and renovate her 10x42foot alley house. The result, which may 2012

3 Brennan has dubbed the Swell House, is stunning. Because the small house revolution is so popular in cities like Baltimore, architects have become accustomed to working with homeowners like Angevine, who wish to revamp their spaces into more modern day designs that are ecologically smarter. In Angevine s case, she exchanged the traditionally arranged first floor into more contemporary rooms. Back when Baltimore s alley houses held families of eight or more, the first floor was generally dominated by the living room, dining room, bathroom and kitchen. While Brennan + Co retained the original footprint of the house, the firm did abandon the original floor plan locating a master suite with a bathroom and walk-in closet on the first floor and moving the kitchen and living space to the second floor. The 24-foot second story, which once consisted of two tiny bedrooms, is now a sunny kitchen and View of ground floor master suite from hallway

4 Master bedroom showing open Murphy bed living space with a deck extended out beyond the kitchen. Inverting the traditional public and private spaces takes advantage of the light while expanding the functionality of the space. I can eat and entertain, with a wonderful view of the harbor, says Angevine. Many of my neighbors rarely use their decks because they are on their roof tops or off their bedrooms. Baltimore is dotted with rooftop decks, she points out. Mine is right off my kitchen! Angevine wanted her home to be a modern, colorful living space. The architectural team integrated galvanized aluminum and polycarbonate ¾-inch walls on aluminum studs to save money and to provide thin solutions that save space. The doorways for first-floor rooms use solid-core doors on industrial tracks. With a nod to historic smallspace solutions, the bedroom is home to a Murphy bed in a sleek pine enclosure. The architects retained the original,

narrow, space-saving staircase in the center of the house. If you replace the stairs, code requires at minimum a 36-inch-wide staircase, explains Brennan.

5 narrow, space-saving staircase in the center of the house. If you replace the stairs, code requires at minimum a 36-inch-wide staircase, explains Brennan. In a 10-foot-wide house like this one, a stair that wide would overwhelm the space. Appliances in the house are simple, energy-saving, GE products that were purchased from a small local dealer. And while the kitchen cabinets are inexpensive Ikea brand, they are an interesting mix of two different styles providing a more original and dynamic look. Simple perforated metal is used on the stairwell railing and echoed on the deck railing. The renovation of the 660-square foot row house also meant Angevine could incorporate energy saving devices. We all wanted it to be green, says Angevine and that s where the construction dollars were directed. Energy-saving HVAC equipment, a dual-flush toilet, batt insulation, bamboo flooring and recycled rubber flooring were sustainable solutions. A white roof and aluminum clad energy-efficient windows also deliver significant energy savings. The house, says Brennan, is evidence that practical thinking, and a commitment to energy efficiency and sustainable materials can create Second floor kitchen with outdoor deck extension

6 something unique and powerful in a small space and on a small budget. Once an alley house of scant origins, the Swell House demonstrates that a small, affordable and sustainable house can exude the modern touches of urban liveliness without disturbing the original integrity of one of the most historically significant architectural styles in Baltimore. Architect Rob Brennan sums it up. Small house. Small budget. Swell result Brennan + Company Architects 8333 Main Street Ellicott City, MD

Thames Penthouse Receives New Look

M E N U Thames Penthouse Receives New Look A U G U S T 2 8, 2 0 1 6 Posted in H O M E T O U R S Tagged B A T H R O O M, B E D R O O M, C O N T E M P O R A R Y, D E S I G N I D E A S, H O M E, K I T C H