As cities densify, alley architecture is becoming a category of its own. Perched atop a garage behind a Washington, D.C., row house, this “summer living room” mitigates heat and screens views from the six-story apartment building behind it.
The structure is composed of ipe flooring, perforated aluminum side panels, angled Corten slats along the rear, and a stainless steel roof. “We wanted it to be rainproof, and stainless steel doesn’t transmit heat,” says principal in charge Janet Bloomberg, AIA. “But toward the house we used wood slats that are open while still providing shade.” The metalwork was fabricated by Steve Prudhomme’s Metal Specialties company in Louisa, Virginia.
The aluminum side panels are about ¼-inch thick to block views from the street below while letting the owners see straight out. And along the alley, the Corten is meant to be a “work of art that changes over time,” Janet says.
CUSTOM ACCESSORY BUILDING
Citation
KUBE ARCHITECTURE
ALLEY ARMOR
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Project Credits
ARCHITECT: Janet Bloomberg, AIA, principal in charge; Andrew Baldwin, design associate, KUBE Architecture, Washington, D.C.
BUILDER: Milloy Carpentry, Springfield, Virginia
METAL WORK: Steve Prudhomme, Metal Specialties, Louisa, VA
PROJECT SIZE: 500 square feet
SITE SIZE: .04 acre
CONSTRUCTION COST: $250 per square foot
PHOTOGRAPHY: Paul Burke Photography
Key Products
CLADDING: Metal Specialties corten steel (exterior cladding); McNichols perforated mesh (exterior of deck)
CUSTOM STEEL FRAMING AND DECK: Metal Specialties
DECK: IPE
EXTERIOR LIGHTING: GlowbackLED strip light (deck)
FURNITURE: Room & Board
LIGHTING: Glowback LED
PAVERS: Stone Source slate pavers
Images
Before Images
Plans and Drawings
