They say home is where the heart is, and my heart is in Alexandria! 

When my wife and I moved to the DMV, we knew we wanted to live in Alexandria to be close to my mom (who still lived in my childhood home), be part of an amazing community, and raise our family here. But how to find a home that we’d LOVE? The answer? Redesign my childhood home to support three generations. The house looks a bit different now, reflecting both the traditional and modern styles of our family.

The experience has been more rewarding than we could have imagined – but how did we make it happen? How do you take different ages, stages, needs, and wants and make them work together?

This is what I love about our work at Convene Architecture – designing homes to meet our clients where they are, and see themselves in the years to come. I feel fortunate for the opportunity to do this for my own family in a community that means so much to us. 

Designing a Contemporary Two-Family Home
We collaborated with the entire family to ensure the house worked for a young child, two working-from-home parents, and a grandparent wanting to age in place. We also designed the house to mesh with the neighborhood. 

To do this, we: 

• Expanded the footprint: The new design expands the original house and adds a single-level apartment to age-in-place. 

• Created cohesiveness with the house and neighborhood: The main entry is relocated and set back between the two-story structures of the original home and new addition to maintain the rhythm of the single-family houses along our street. 

• Infused new and honored original details: Preserved the original house, using modern detailing to merge the two homes with elements of the original house reinterpreted in the new design. For example, the angled bay window references the dormers of the original house.

On the first floor of the original house, we created a larger dining room and kitchen, and a new living room with expansive windows that provide natural light and views to the backyard.

We reconfigured the second floor of the original house to include two bedrooms, a shared bathroom, and a library. A new stair hall connects to the addition where an office is located, as well as the primary bedroom suite with access to a roof deck. We also used the stairwell to bring light and views into the second floor hall and first floor entry foyer. We introduced blackened steel details for a modern vibe, while integrating wood accents to provide warmth and frame views to the outside.

My mom’s apartment includes an open plan living / dining room and kitchen area with views to the backyard, as well as an ensuite bedroom and additional bedroom and bath for guests or a future caregiver. Age-in-place features include an open floor plan, grab bars and a curbless shower in the bathrooms, as well as outdoor ramps. There is also space for a future elevator. 

Our two homes share outdoor spaces including a patio and pergola – which is another connection point for the entire family! 

Curious about Multigenerational Housing and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)?
We love hearing what’s important to our clients – elements that make a house a cherished home. For our home, we did the same – weaving in details that make our home special to us, and tailoring it to the current and future needs of all three generations. For those unfamiliar, ADUs can take many forms, but are generally independent living units that have a separate kitchen, sleeping space, and bathroom. In 2021, the City of Alexandria approved ADUs and we’re grateful we’ve had the opportunity to help clients realize their ADU dreams. 

New Year, New Home Dreams
As we dive into a new year, are you interested in making your home something you LOVE, considering an ADU, or just curious about the art of what’s possible with your spaces? We’d love to hear from you! 

SEE ALSO: A Tale of Two Houses – Traditional and Modern