Nolan Ediger: Works Volume 2023

LOFT: REFINED AND REDEFINED Washington, DC

Architect: Richard Williams Architects

Role: Project Architect, Critical Design Collaborator

Builder: BM Contractors

Photographer: Richard Williams

This renovation project resolved to make sense programmatically of a condo with a 2,600 sq ft loft space indistinguishable from something you might find in Brooklyn. The young couple who purchased the unit desired to retain and contrast the space’s industrial vibe with a chic and sophisticated intervention of domestic comforts. This required a series of spatial divisions and insertions to impart the feeling of home.

The ensuing interventions could be thought of as a series of surgical design moves. Riffing on Jay Appleton’s concept of the prospect and refuge, we lowered the ceiling height along the north wall. This allowed for the delineation of the space into two manageable parts. Inserted beneath the dropped ceiling is an ample kitchen for entertaining and a “box” with an intimate and insulated den space. At the voluminous full height space, a millwork divider not only defines the dining and living room, but provides essential elements for domestic life. The space is graced by subtle ambient light provided by an abundance of windows and several skylights.

An additional skylight situated directly above the penthouse stair permits the illumination of the new acrylic guardrail, which not only delivers a beautiful design element but also brings the staircase up to code. After ascending the stairs to the bedroom level, a large bank of windows and an expansive rooftop deck with phenomenal views of the cityscape awaits.

The material palette throughout plays an important role in spatial delineation and contrasting new architectural elements from the industrial character of the original space. The original tactile masonry walls and structural wooden components throughout have been paired with smooth painted GWB, tile, stone, and matte black millwork. The use of color in more private spaces provides layers of intrigue and a playful attitude.

The architectural details throughout reinforce the main design concepts. The den, an uninterrupted boldly painted box set under the lowered ceiling, maintains a crisp form with two carefully detailed doors concealed through the use of paint and carefully selected hinges. The space is also raised off the main finished floor level to further imply that the den is a private space. An ebonized piece of wooden trim flush travels continuously along the entirety of the box, capping the edge of the den floor and eventually becoming the toe-kick at the kitchen millwork. Aluminum angles with one leg embedded into select walls provide useful ledges in the kitchen and bathrooms.

Existing Conditions

View from kitchen towards living and dining room

View from living room towards kitchen

View from dining room towards kitchen and breakfast room (beyond)

SECOND CITY: THE URBAN GAP

Syracuse, New York

Graduate School Thesis

School of Architecture, Syracuse University

What is the project?

“Second City” is a formal, optical, and programmatic experiment of occupation to promote radical social interactions in the city through intervention in “urban gaps”. These exist as unbuilt, underutilized, and under-programmed spaces within all cities: the alleyway, surface parking lot, grassy interlude, median strip, and the space beneath an elevated freeway. These spaces and surfaces are the opportunities for intervention. The project envisions a second city constructed within, and between, these ignored “leftovers”; a new layer, set of stimuli, internal passage, social experiment, visual kaleidoscope, and land of delight.

“A simple cut or a series of cuts acts as a powerful drawing device able to redefine spatial situations and structural components.” 1

Among the dozens of “gap spaces” in Syracuse, four interrelated properties in the downtown Armory Square district are the site of experimentation. Influenced by physical adjacencies, visual and spatial connections, formal operations, transform the initial autonomous (fill, grid) of each “urban gap”. Each site mixes common programs of daily life with radical programs of urban recreation and leisure. Spatial narratives, optical exchange, tactics of shock, the use of the uncanny, and the unfamiliar2 to construct and reconstruct the city.

1. Gordon Matta-Clark, Bingo, 1974.

2. Bernard Tschumi, Six Concepts, 1994.

West Fayette Street

811 East Genesee Street

705 East Genesee Street

338 South Salina Street

GAP SPACES: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

Scale: 500’

“Gap spaces” exist as unbuilt, underutilized, and under-programmed spaces within all cities: the alleyway, surface parking lot, grassy interlude, median strip, and the space beneath an elevated freeway.

EVERYDAY PROGRAM

Each site mixes common programs of daily life with radical programs of urban recreation and leisure; increasing one’s potential for social interaction.

The initial study of “gap spaces” led to optical and social observations which played a critical role in the design of each interventions.

OPTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

limited visibilty, ability to experience environment, opportunity for social, or spontaneity

FORMAL OPERATIONS / URBAN FILL

“A simple cut or a series of cuts acts as a powerful drawing device able to redefine spatial situations

structural components.” 1

Formal operations, transform the initial autonomous fill, grid of each “urban gap”. This series of operations provide a base form.

1. Use only surface which make up site.

2. Extrude shape from surface.

1. Fill site. 2. Manipulate mass to create tower.

1. Fill site with columns. 2. Move columns for space creation.

3. Add platforms.

1. Fill site. 2. Create shapes. 3. Subtract.

and

1. Gordon Matta-Clark, Bingo, 1974.

Among the dozens of “gap spaces” in Syracuse, four interrelated properties in the downtown Armory Square district are the site of experimentation.

SITE B 109 Walton Street

SITE A 116 Walton Street

SITE D 380 South Clinton Street

SITE C 218 Jefferson Street

Physical adjacencies, visual and spatial connections, program, and materiality continue to define and contribute to the final forms of each intervention.

The resulting interventions produce spatial narratives, optical exchange, shock, the uncanny, and the unfamiliar2 to construct and reconstruct the city.

2. Bernard Tschumi, Six Concepts, 1994.

SITE C: SECTION

Scale: 1/16” = 1’-0”

SITE

Site D: View from sidwalk

Site D: View of lookout point from adjacent building

Site D: View of bike storage from lookout point

Site D: View from lookout point

TERRAPIN NECK

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

Architect: Richard Williams Architects

Role: Key Team Member, Design Collaborator

Builder: Michael F. Taylor

Photographer: Tom Arban

An existing home, located on a rock cliff high above the Potomac River, had all the potential for an amazing holiday home. While well sited it was aesthetically disorganized and didn’t capture the natural grandeur that this place commands. Our client challenged us to act surgical; making minimal changes and additions to better integrate the existing structure into the landscape.

One of the major objectives was opening up the house to the Appalachian woodlands to the south acting as a counterweight to the sweeping views of the river gorge to the North. To accomplish this, a new scrim wall, reminiscent of the forest nearby, marches along the front of the house. The addition forms an entry porch, glazed entry hall, and dining room bay. The posts of the scrim wall cope to an existing boulder found on site, further integrating the house with its natural surroundings.

The original structure, with its many additions was formally discordant. This was especially true for the strange mix-match of shed and gable roofs. Converting an existing gable roof to match the adjacent shed roofs simplified the design, calling to mind the waves of the river below, and allowed for an additional bedroom upstairs.

The palette of the house was also edited to only a few materials. On the exterior, stained cedar cladding harmonizes with the Douglas fir posts of the scrim wall. At the interior, white walls set the stage for the strategic use of stain grade elements; Douglas fir T&G at the ceiling and dividing millwork between the living and dining room. Additionally, these two stain-grade elements function to reorganization key social spaces.

Instead of starting from scratch our approach was to completely transform the existing house using only a few strategic operations. The contrasting views of the dense woodland and sweeping river gorge paired with the editing of materials knits this amazing home to the site.

Shepherdstown

Sharpsburg

SITE PLAN:

Scale: 1/32” = 1’-0”

Additional Footprint

View Towards Appalachian Woodland

West

RENOVATION

FORMAL SIMPLIFICATION

2 Transformed Structure

1 Existing Ranch House

Simplified Shed Roofs

Discordant Roof Forms

View Towards Potomac River Gorge

Existing Boulder Integrated into Design

View Towards Appalachian Woodland

3. Construction

2. Demolition

1. Existing Conditions

PLAN:

Scale: 1/16” = 1’-0”

View B: from living room

View A: from kitchen

3”x8” Post, Grouted Connection

3”x8” Post , Pre-construction

3”x8” post concept sketch

Window bay post layout construction sketch

WALL SECTION AT BOULDER: Scale:

“ALLEY HOUSE” ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT

Washington, DC

Design + Representation: Nolan Ediger

In 2016 Washington, DC zoning law was changed to allow accessory dwelling units (ADU) in all Residential (R) Type zones with only minor exceptions.

Accessory Dwelling Unit: A dwelling unit that is secondary to the principal single household dwelling unit in terms of gross floor area, intensity of use, and physical character, but which has kitchen and bath facilities separate from the principal dwelling and may have a separate entrance.1

As pressures on the environment and livability concerns grow, large American cities are looking for solutions to increase their density. This can be difficult with the abundance of space zoned for low-density single-family homes. ADUs are a complimentary structure which allow for increased housing stock within neighborhoods consisting predominately of single-family homes. Simultaneously, they can providing supplementary income for the primary resident and owner.

“Alley House” initially began as a code review exercise and a potential project through my employer at the time. The project however, ended up not materializing. Being excited by the typology and potential, I set out to devise my own scheme in my spare time.

The exterior design, largely the shape of a prototypical house and clad in slate and stain-grade wood fit into the surrounding neighborhood. Dormers, a large window wall, and other modifications to the basic “house” shape let in light, provide cross ventilation, allow for headspace at the stairs, and open up views to its lush surroundings. With a maximum allowable footprint of only 450 square feet, the utilization of space was crucial. The supporting programmatic elements such as bathrooms and storage have been located at an inner core, freeing up space at the perimeter. This allows for an open plan living and kitchen space at the main level that flows into a mezzanine level bedroom upstairs. While compact, the design place to live.

1. District of Columbia Office of Zoning Handbook

LOCATION MAP

ZONING SUMMARY

5814 SHERIER PLACE NW

WASHINGTON, DC 20016

ZONING: R-1-B

SQUARE: 1454 LOT: 0817

5814

1. LOT 064: 2412 FT2

2. LOT 811: TROLLEY EASEMENT: 2072 FT2

A. PRIMARY STRUCTURE: 1770 FT2

B. PROPOSED ACCESSORY APARTMENT: 450 FT2

C. NEW GARAGE, TO REPLACE EXISTING: 393 FT2

PERVIOUS SURFACE PROPOSED (3 LOTS): 58%; REQUIRED: 50%

EXISTING PROPOSED

*Per Code

1

3

2

3. LOT 817: 3294 FT2 B

SITE PLAN

Scale: 1/16” = 1’-0“

A C

1 Prototypical House Shape

Recreational Courtyard

Glass Window Wall Provides Connection to Courtyard and Outdoors Beyond |04| “Alley House” Accessory Dwelling Unit

View from alley

MAIN LEVEL PLAN

UPPER LEVEL PLAN

SE ELEVATION

NW ELEVATION

Scale: 1/8” = 1’-0”

Scale: 1/8” = 1’-0”

SW ELEVATION

Scale: 1/8” = 1’-0”

NE ELEVATION

Scale: 1/8” = 1’-0”

View from entry

SECTION A-A

Scale: 1/4” = 1’-0”

SUBURBAN

INFILL: B&O CORRIDOR

Montgomery County, Maryland

Architect: Richard Williams Architects

Role: Project Architect, Critical Design Collaborator

Builder: Rembrandt Builders

Under Construction: 2022

Our clients, longtime residents of a historic streetcar suburb outside Washington, DC, pined for the opportunity to design their dream home but struggled with the idea of relocating. In a stroke of luck, they were able to purchase a lot that had sat vacant for many years. Our task was to design a house that would enable them to entertain, nurture hobbies, and work, all while aligning budget and sustainability goals.

The ‘Z’ shaped plan was the result of a close examination of the deep 17,000 sq. ft. site, zoning considerations, programmatic requests, and neighborhood context. Pulling the main bedroom and kitchen wings away from the main two-story block of the house allowed the massing to form several distinct yards. One yard public, encouraging impromptu neighborly conversations on the porch; another yard for entertaining; and the last yard an intimate and decidedly meditative garden surrounding the main bedroom wing. The rear entertaining yard is embraced by the main social spaces and can easily be accessed from the indoors, acting as an extension of the house. In addition to the customary domestic program, the empty nesters desired work from home space (including a secluded office above the garage), a wood shop, and plentiful gardening space for vegetables and herbs.

The massing and exterior palette are decidedly traditional and comfortable in the historic neighborhood. The cedar shake cladding, bluestone lead walk, and other natural materials engender an inviting presence from the street and are accompanied by exterior trim details that are clean, modern, and harmonious. The interior has a series of volume changes; compressive natural wood lowered ceilings and an expansive stained plywood vaulted ceiling as well as strategically placed millwork create both intimate spaces and long sightlines. This modern language corresponds with and reinforces the programmatic necessities of each space.

Concept massing sketches

View from entry hall towards living room

View from kitchen / dining towards entry hall

Windows: Loewen

House

Windows:

Materials palette

Upper level balcony details Typical wall section detail

Pella

Satin Steel

Graphite Iron Ore

Tuscany Brown Black

Midnight Bronze

Bluestone

House Paint: Benjamin Moore Bone White OC-143

Paint: Benjamin Moore Navajo White OC-95

House Paint: Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray HC-173

, Modified Wood

Douglas Fir

Western Red Cedar, semi-solid stain, Benjamin Moore, Iron Mountain

View from rear yard

View from driveway

1. Asphalt Shingle Roof, request samples for review

2. House paint over primed shake shingle (see left for color options)

3. Windows (See left for manufacturer and color options

4. Bluestone porch floor

5. Western red cedar, semi-solid stain trim

6. House paint over primed plank siding (see left for color options)

1. House paint over primed shake shingle (see left for color options)

2. Douglas Fir beam ceiling

3. Western red cedar, semi-solid stain trim

4. Kebony, modified wood deck boards

5. Lime washed brick