Poplar Terraces
Just outside of Washington, D.C., the distinctive contemporary architecture of Poplar Terraces is inspired by housing types found in cities like Charleston, South Carolina. Each is set along walled gardens perpendicular to the street to garner private outdoor space and optimize solar orientation, fostering connectivity between the homes and the surrounding landscape. The houses also share a stand of protected old-growth tulip poplars in a preservation out-lot, as well as a rain garden (thus inspiring the title of the project).
The architect notes: “In [the metropolitan area] land development is inevitable; however, the goal of this project is to preserve a connection with the land, balancing the natural with the man-made.” Rather than constructing the largest building footprint possible for the budget, these houses are carefully crafted and sited. The project also received a US Government Energy Star rating for its energy efficiency.
Date of completion: 2008
Projects by Jim Rounsevell Architecture + Photography
