Tilden Park House

TYPE OF WORK: RENOVATION AND ADDITION

LOCATION: NORTH, BETHESDA

When the clients bought this ranch, part of the appeal was its potential. A single-story footprint is easier to expand and transform than a more complex structure — and this one had something extra: a backyard that backed directly onto the woods. The connection to that landscape was there. It just needed to be unlocked.

The design began with one question: how do we bring the woods in?

The answer was a two-part addition — a full glass facade facing the park, and a new deck that dissolves the boundary between inside and out. The kitchen was relocated and opened up so that cooking, gathering, and the view all happen in the same generous space. A new staircase with a skylight above brings light deep into the heart of the house. At the top, a new master suite with panoramic windows makes the treetops part of daily life.

The exterior reads as a clear composition of wood, glass, and stucco — modern but rooted, confident without being loud. At night the glass facade glows into the landscape like a lantern in the trees.