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 project was our first opportunity to both restore and update one of Goodman’s designs. The single-story home had been chopped up on the interior with a series of renovations in the 1990s and early 2000s. Our design strategy for this project was one of curating and simplification. The solution returned the original open kitchen and dining spaces of the house by simplifying the utility rooms and circulation between the living areas and the more private bedrooms to the back.

The connection to the exterior was of paramount importance to the client. Partnering with Moody Graham Landscape Architecture, we installed a large bi-fold glass wall that literally opens the kitchen to the shaded dining patio. The renovated living room opens onto a large terrace with a pool and overlooks a rain and tree-root garden beyond. A new large skylight in the dining room allows the client to dine under the stars whether they are inside or outside of the house.