Dupont Circle Residence is a project designed by EL Studio PLLC. A renovation of a 3,900 SF, two-level apartment on Dupont Circle, the existing space was a lesson in the challenges of converting DC?s Commercial office inventory for residential use: low ceilings, imposing structure, insufficient building systems, and a footprint resultant from its position on the triangle between Massachusetts Avenue and P Street NW. The project was an exercise in ?shrink-wrapping?: simplifying geometry with a curtain of elevated finishes. The unit shape is resolved by the communicating stair, which connects a double-height living space to the upper level. Photography by Anice Hoachlander.

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The stair user begins oriented parallel to P Street. At an intermediate landing, the user turns to face Massachusetts Avenue and ascends a series of cantilevered parallelogram treads. The treads are steel plate wrapped on five sides in mitered white oak. A stainless-steel rod guardrail emphasizes height. The stair, which occupies an acute corner of the triangle footprint, connects living space to upper-floor bedrooms via a double-height gallery, maximizing the client?s daily interaction with art, light, and the urban context beyond. The handrail is a leather-wrapped block set on a recessed angle.
The primary suit is accessed from a bridge that spans the double-height living space. The stair and the suit both negotiate the challenge of the polygonal unit shape. The ...