Description

When the changing needs of Richard M. Cole’s own family prompted a move, the architect became his own client, transforming an outdated townhouse into a spectacular and highly functional new home.

The 1968 brick structure was well situated and had good bones, but the house was dark and poorly laid out, with a windowless kitchen on the second floor.

Cole selectively gutted undesirable features and added new ones, including a 400-square-foot, ground-floor, living-room extension, with its own green roof.

The new first floor includes a state-of-the-art kitchen, breakfast and dining rooms and the new living room, which opens onto a lush patio. The new second floor houses a master bedroom suite, with his-and-her dressing rooms and an in-home office.

A once-dingy basement is now a playroom for the Coles’ three grandsons and there are enough bedrooms to house the far-flung family. New customized features include a discreet elevator, built-in cabinetry, handsome glazed doors, and energy-saving heating, cooling and lighting.

The once dreary brick house is now a bright and comfortable green home, poised to accommodate family needs for years to come.

Floor Plans