Hollin Hills is an award-winning mid-century modern neighborhood in Alexandria, Virginia. Designed by renowned architect Charles Goodman and developed between the late 1940s to early 1970s, these unique homes are beautifully sited to limit views of adjacent houses while maximizing the connection between interior and exterior.

This restoration and renovation project, our second in the Hollin Hills neighborhood, reminded us of the principle derived from the Hippocratic oath – ‘first, do no harm’. Our objective was to take the best elements of Goodman’s design and capitalize on them while updating the home to serve the modern lifestyle of our clients.

We carefully consolidated the bathrooms and other service spaces of the home into a single, central core. This allowed the open windows that surrounded the original design as well as additional windows and doors that were added – to create a seamless flow between the interior and exterior spaces of the house. Spaces for entertaining, cooking, working and even sleeping are doubled in size by incorporating dedicated exterior spaces that extend the interior rooms either metaphorically or literally.

While it is a tall task to improve on a beautiful design, we feel that we accomplished just that. In doing no harm, we were able to use the principles of the original design to further both the function and the spatial configuration of the home.