Peabody Architects

An English Cottage Looks South

Highgate is different kind of development in Potomac, Maryland. Twenty custom houses by five architects are being built on 50 acres of rolling farmland. This is our third house built in the devlelopment. The houses vary in size, but each is in the style of the Cottswald cottages that inspired towns like Lake Forest and Chestnut Hill early in the last century. A common palette of exterior materials and a common landscaping plan hold the community together visually and spatially.

This client had a lovely, south-facing site, with an antique red barn, and amazing views of the surrounding landscape. They wanted a house that would take advantage of the views, and present a solid welcome on arrival. The house is stone, with an arched front entry and screened porch to the west. The kitchen, breakfast room, family room, and master bedroom all look to the south, where a large stone terrace connects the house to the pool and landscape.

Although green considerations took a back seat in this project, with the advantageous passive-solar orientation and careful placement of windows, the mechanical contractor commented that the home consumed less energy per square foot than any of the other homes in the development.