Volpe Residence

Transforming a Colonial

Located in the desirable Arlington neighborhood of Tara, the original post-war Colonial Revival house dated back to the late 1930's. Though quite compact, the home's original symetrical front facade and hilltop perch suggests an air of stature and formality.

Our addition, greatly improved the number and disposition of rooms, however, the design maintains a similar formality to the original. As seen in the North Elevation, There is a 2-story hipped central mass flanked by opposing side wings. Unlike the original, the repurposed hipped roof is celebrated with broad beam lined eaves. For practical and budgetary reasons the 2nd floor addition was clad with siding in lieu of brick. A frieze line is deliberately located just under the second floor window sills to create proportional interest. The frieze demarcates the facade materials horizontally. The brick ground floor walls are enphasized with a taller proportion while the second floor is expressed as a narrow siding band.