Washinton D.C.

Robert M. Gurney together with design team Nicole Dejong and Sarah Mailhot Solander construct ‘Franzen House’ in Mohican Hills, Maryland on a steeply sloping, wooded site with views of the Potomac River afforded in the fall, winter and early spring.

The remarkable project won a 2021 American Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

A simple rectangular volume, the house is revealed as a two-story structure seen from the street.

This extends an additional two stories at the back to take advantage of the steep grade.

The house is anchored into the earth with two concrete end walls, extending all four stories.

Wood-framed walls clad In Shou Sugi Ban with minimal fenestration connect the two concrete walls at the front.

On the woodland side, the four-story infill is mostly glass.

This is articulated in the fenestration and the exterior material choices.

Access to the house is provided with a bridge extending from the street.

The end of the bridge provides a viewing platform and a moment to pause before proceeding towards the front door.

The path to the front door and vertical movement connecting the four levels are carefully orchestrated with selected landscape views.

The project is modulated as a series of experiences that lead you away from the street and ultimately into a tranquil environment to enjoy the serene, wooded landscape.

Project: Franzen House
Architect: Robert M. Gurney, Architect
Project Architects: Nicole Dejong and Sarah Mailhot Solander
Client: Withheld
Contractor: Commonwealth Building and Design
Photographers: Anice Hoachlander