Robert Nichols' Takoma Park House: A Masterpiece of Modern Architecture

Exploring the Unique Design and Innovative Construction of the Award-Winning Residential House

The Takoma Park House, designed by Robert Nichols, is a product of inspiration drawn from Colin Rowe’s theories and teachings of modern architecture. The design concept of the house is a spatially layered linear system, balancing the abstract and real, and addressing problems related to site, program, circulation, entrance, structure, and enclosure. The design successfully illustrates a programmatic separation of public and private areas of family life, with a spatial sequence composed of layers that extend the vertical stratification of space.

The house's unique properties lie in its innovative construction and materials used. The concrete fireplace, formed with Portland cement, lime, and mortar, is placed on a Bianco glazed porcelain base. The kitchen features Tomei Silver Green Mosaic tile walls and emerald marble countertops, while the flooring throughout the house is bamboo with cinnamon wide plank, glued on Lite-Deck concrete. The exterior veneer is a fiber cement panel with three colors, adding to the contemporary aesthetic of the house.

The spatial organization of the house is based on a programmatic separation between public and private areas. The private part of the house, located on the entry side, faces land, woods, and road, while the public spaces, where the family meets and entertains, are at the rear of the house, overlooking the creek in the park. This design interaction ensures a balance between privacy and social interaction within the household.

The construction of the house, which started in May 2010 in Takoma Park, Maryland USA, and finished in October 2016, faced a significant challenge. The lot required a variance of 6,218mm as it was within 13,258mm of the established front building line. The variance application took three months in proceeding for the hearing, and then a grant for construction was received.

The Takoma Park House, with its compact, prismatic form, reflects and refracts the natural surroundings. It is rooted in the historical city of Takoma Park tradition of detached bungalow houses, yet stands out as a modern, sustainable structure. The house forms a linear structure in a cantilever cube with one being open and the other enclosed. The house is understood frontally by the layering of principal facades, adding to its unique aesthetic appeal.

The Takoma Park House was awarded Silver in A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2017. This prestigious award is rewarded to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. The house, with its strong technical characteristics and splendid artistic skill, showcases a remarkable level of excellence and introduces positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.