
Slate House
Situated on 3 acres and surrounded by Maryland Environmental Trust land, the Slate House is a contemporary retreat that respects the nature and legacy of the vast and densely wooded site. The new 7,000-square foot building replaces a late 60’s, ranch-style house that was destroyed by fire.
The recent house fire created a physical, emotional, and ecological shift between owners, land, and the surrounding ecology. Rising from the ashes of its predecessor, the design team set out to reconnect the site to the existing contextual environment. The home and gardens are designed as a metaphor for healing, reflection, and relaxation.
Client
Location
Lutherville, MD
Size
6,500 sf
Completed
2017



The design employs an archetypal gable form, a geometric extrusion that is both reductive and minimal, that yields cathedral ceilings emphasizing the verticality of the trees. Large expanses of mahogany framed window walls maximize views of the surrounding forest, blurring interior and exterior spaces. Clean and direct geometries combine with natural materials of stone, wood, steel, and water to express rawness and simplicity.


Dark slate shingles wrap the sides and roof as a protective shell. Charred wood siding caps the gable ends evoking the memory of the former home. Both materials contrast with the open, light-filled volumes of the interior.





The design employs an archetypal gable form, a geometric extrusion that is both reductive and minimal, that yields cathedral ceilings emphasizing the verticality of the trees. Dark slate shingles wrap the sides and roof as a protective shell. Charred wood siding caps the gable ends evoking the memory of the former home. Both materials contrast with the open, light-filled volumes of the interior. Large expanses of mahogany framed window walls maximize views of the surrounding forest, blurring interior and exterior spaces. Clean and direct geometries combine with natural materials of stone, wood, steel, and water to express rawness and simplicity.






Design Team
Douglas Bothner
Matthew Rouse
Consultants
Landscape Architect – Campion/Hruby Landscape Architects
Structural Engineer – Morabito Consultants
Interior Designer – Jenkins Baer
Photography
Adam Rouse
Jennifer Hughes
Awards
American Architecture Award, The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design
Architizer A+ Awards Finalist, Architizer
Residential Winner, Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition
Honor Award, AIA Maryland
Honorable Mention, AIA Baltimore
Publications
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Finalist, Residential Design, Architizer A+ Awards, 2019
American Architecture Award, The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, 2019
Residential Design Winner, Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition, 2018
Honor Award, AIA Maryland, 2018
Honorable Mention, AIA Baltimore, 2017



