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Colleen Healey Erects a Clerestory Upon a Modernist Home

Sasha and Shay Knaani purchased a 1956 Modernist brick split-level home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, appreciating its architectural style, convenient location, and verdant backyard. However, the original structure presented several challenges. The house was not adequately sized for their needs, its front-facing rooms lacked privacy due to proximity to a major road, and the main level felt disconnected from the backyard because of the placement of bathrooms and bedrooms. Colleen Healey Architecture was engaged to address these issues, focusing on enhancing natural light and privacy while improving the connection to the outdoors. Healey's primary intervention involved removing the existing roof and installing a new flat roof, creating a clerestory with bands of windows between the new roof and the original brick structure. This innovative design, which gave the home its new name, The Clerestory House, brought abundant natural light into the great room while maintaining complete privacy, a critical requirement given the road frontage. Beyond the clerestory, Healey undertook a comprehensive reorganization of the interior spaces. The main entrance was relocated from the side to the front, where new dark brick walls now define and orient the split-level stairs. To create a seamless visual connection to the garden, one bedroom was eliminated, and the primary bedroom suite was reconfigured. This allowed visitors entering the home to see directly through to the garden, without any direct view into the private areas of the house. The kitchen was also strategically relocated to one side, which facilitated the creation of a cozy side court, further enhancing access to the garden. The renovation significantly expanded the home's footprint. In addition to the clerestory, Healey added a garage and a single-story kitchen extension, along with two new bedrooms. These additions brought the total area to an ample 4,000 square feet, now accommodating five bedrooms and five-and-a-half bathrooms. While local artist Kate Zaremba contributed a dramatic wallcovering for a glamorous powder room, the overall material palette remained intentionally restrained. Healey emphasized the dominant role of sunlight and the original brick in the design, stating her affection for how these "pieces of the outdoors made their way inside," highlighting the project's success in integrating natural elements and light. #ModernistHome #ClerestoryDesign #ResidentialArchitecture #ColleenHealeyArchitecture #MarylandHomes #HomeRenovation #NaturalLightDesign #SplitLevelRemodel #ModernistHome #ClerestoryDesign #ResidentialArchitecture #ColleenHealeyArchitecture #MarylandHomes #HomeRenovation #NaturalLightDesign #SplitLevelRemodel
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