Drawn to this historic Italianate residence, a landmark in Capitol Hill?s Harvard-Belmont Historical District, the new owners knew they needed a design firm that would respect the home?s historic exterior yet bring a modern sensibility to the interiors, which had long ago been compromised through a series of ill-conceived remodels. Photography: Andrew Giammarco

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The palazzo-style residence?built in 1910 (one year after the famed Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition and designed by Washington, D.C. architects Hornblower and Marshall)?had been commissioned by noted entrepreneur, lawyer, and railroad executive Samuel R. Hill. The five-story, 11,000-square-foot home is built entirely of cast-in-place concrete. Unique in construction, the house is thought to be the oldest of its kind on the west coast. Channeling the innovative spirit of the home?s original construction and owner, a strategy was devised to bring the home into the 21st century. The multi-phased approach involved preserving as much of the exterior of the house as possible while re-envisioning the floor plans of each of the five floors for contemporary living. Occupying a one-acre site, the property provides expansive views across Lake Union to the Olympic Mountains. Despite numerous remodels since its original construction, the interiors were a rabbit warren of spaces that defied logic, were poorly connected to the gardens and views, and unsuited to contemp...