Nutman addition

When designing an addition to a 1930s-era home in Chevy Chase, Md., architect David Jameson of Alexandria, Va., chose to pair more than 300 square feet of glazing against the home’s original dark exterior.

The 400-square-foot Nutman addition, completed in early 2004, consists of a glass-enclosed breakfast room and kitchen projected from the heavy, brick colonial home, Jameson says.

“[The owners] were looking to create a modern counterpoint to the historic house,” Jameson says. “It’s really a juxtaposition between the heavy historic property and the light addition.”

Large lites of Pittsburgh’s PPG Starphire glass in dark mahogany frames form the addition’s clear walls. The largest pieces of the 1.25-inch insulating glass measure 5 feet 9 inches by 11 feet, at about 60 square feet.

“It’s PPG’s super clear glass,” Jameson says. “The owners love that it creates the feeling of being outside; it instills the idea that it’s OK to live in a glass house.”

Jameson controlled solar heat gain in the project through the glass’ low-emissivity properties in addition to strategic design of the upward angled roof. “We basically oriented the overhang of the roof to take advantage of solar heat gain,” he says.

“The roof folds up and down to respond to tree topography as well as sun angles.”

Hutchison Glass & Mirror Inc. in Bethesda was the glazing contractor, and LR Mailloux Construction of Washington, D.C., was the general contractor.

Hutchinson workers installed all the exterior glazing as well as a glass backsplash in the kitchen and a glass vanity. The project took about seven months to complete. The cost is undisclosed.