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Architects: Meridian 105 Architecture
- Area: 2842 m²
- Year: 2013
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Photographs:Raul J. Garcia
Text description provided by the architects. Positioned on a narrow 28' wide lot in Denver's LoHi neighborhood, the 33rd Avenue house is an elongated, open floor plan with living space split between three full levels. While the urban quality of the neighborhood was desirable to the homeowners, the considerable amount of foot & vehicular traffic turning the corner of this particular property necessited a creative solution for maintaining interior and back-yard privacy. Meridian 105 proposed raising the entire 1st floor of the home to nearly 6' above the sidewalk.
This not only provided separation between the main living space and the street, it also created a partially submerged garden level with an abundance of natural light and useable space. To maintain a more direct connection to the exterior, earth was filled in at the rear of the home to meet the elevation of the finished floor, creating a back yard positioned head height above the sidewalk. This solution also made use of the material excavated for the basement, saving cost on removal offsite.
The main floor of the house contains kitchen, dining, and living spaces, while the upper floor is a master suite with access to an exterior roof deck. With downtown skyline views to the South, the upper volume of the home was shifted toward the rear to create the roof deck. Its peaked roof responds to the City's zoning requirements for bulk plane and height, and fits appropriately with the surrounding neighborhood context. Two additional bedrooms reside in the partially submerged lower level. The façade of the home is clad in a smooth face shiplap Western Red Cedar with a dark brown stain.
Note: This project was originally published on 25 November, 2013
