Washington, DC

Rock Creek House

Scope/Solutions

Led by NADAAA, the renovation of an existing 1930s home transformed the traditional masonry structure into a contemporary residence with a vertical addition.  SGH was the structural engineer for the project and consulted on the building enclosure.

Working closely with the architectural team, SGH designed structural modifications for the wood-framed, load-bearing masonry structure to accommodate new architectural features and modern fenestration, create floor openings for two-story spaces, and permit the removal of load-bearing elements to open the floor plan.  Highlights of our work include the following:

  • Analyzed the existing structure to reconfigure the partial-height third floor into a new full-height story
  • Designed new third-floor walls and a wood- and steel-framed, folded-plate roof with a thin edge profile and exposed folds in the ceiling below to meet architectural goals
  • Modeled the steel roof framing using Telka and delivered the model to the steel fabricator for their use
  • Analyzed existing load-bearing walls and designed structural steel framing to accommodate a cantilevered glass facade at the second floor, relocated windows, new sliding doors, and a custom 17 ft tall window to the backyard
  • Designed floor framing to support three feature stairs including, a wood-framed, three-story circular grand stair with feature handrails, a wood-framed stair to the Garden level clad in wood lath, and a new exterior stainless steel stair by supported a central steel girder
  • Designed two additions to the house for an exercise room and a four car garage with a roof deck and an elevated, stainless steel pavilion
  • Provided construction phase services, including three-dimensional modeling, shoring design, and development of masonry reinforcement drawings
  • Provided building envelope consulting, including review of design documents, observations of as-built construction for comparison with the design intent, and thermal modeling to assess condensation risk

Project Summary

completion-date

2015

Completion Date
award-winner

Award

Winner
Solutions
New Construction
Services
Building Enclosures | Structures
Markets
Residential
Client(s)
NADAAA, Inc.
Specialized Capabilities
Building Design | Building Science

Key team members