The Round House

Description

A century-old landmark in the Brookland neighborhood, the Round House is an original Edward Woltz design. The house is a revival of the antebellum octagon style, a kind of building rarely seen in Washington, DC.

We took a simple, though unique, historic edifice and added a sophisticated, concentric rear addition. Structural steel hidden in an interstitial ceiling cavity creates a versatile space. Expansive French doors, casement windows and transoms form a curved wall of light that carries throughout the large, open first floor. The roof’s conical shape allowed us to design the most dramatic elements of this home: the custom steel staircase and the round skylight perched at the center of the 45-degree roof. This space originally housed a circular stair leading to the second floor and, ultimately, an attic nook. We were able to transform this second level into a functional and enjoyable bedroom level.