Location: Washington
Area: 6,546 sq ft
Photography: Benjamin Benschneider
Architect: Kor Architects
About Studio
When a house speaks to us, we call it a home. When a job speaks to us, we call it a passion. At Kor, we pride ourselves on listening—to the materials, to the environment, to the people who will live in the homes we create. That’s why we work at the human scale, embracing collaboration and deep focus, appreciating the challenges and joys in every project.
Through communication, inspiration, and sheer tenacity we imbue every home with a unique and compelling spirit. While our designs embody decades of collective expertise, we deliver something greater: spaces that speak to our clients’ most authentic selves.
A 21st-century residence that exists harmoniously in a 1970s-era neighborhood. The goal with Five Residence was to maximize energy efficiency, air tightness in the building envelope, and solar orientation in the service of moving toward net zero.
Situated along an east-west axis with large windows that maximize views of the canal, the home is broken into distinct volumes with clerestory windows and overhanging roofs. Stone walls continue from exterior to interior, lending gravitas and blending indoors and outdoors. Simple, warm materials inside imbue modern sophistication with human craftsmanship and detail.
The house maximizes energy efficiency through enclosure design and insulation selection; the design of the building itself relieves most of the load on heating and cooling systems.