A couple, relocating to Philadelphia from Delaware, viewed 13 homes before stumbling across an 8,000-square-foot, 4-story townhouse in Center City’s Rittenhouse Square. As avid classical music fans, the home’s proximity to the Philadelphia Orchestra was a major factor in their eventual purchase of the townhouse.
Built in the mid-19th century during a building boom, the home frequently changed hands and needed significant interior and exterior work. A fire had destroyed much of the original interiors and corresponding details in the early 1900s, leaving few original features unscathed; only some staircases, paneling and a fireplace were original. In the 1930s, the home was transformed into a doctor’s clinic on the first floor with the accompanying residence on the remaining three. During that time, the interior configurations were awkwardly rearranged to house examination rooms and formal areas.
The clients wanted to respect the historical legacy of the home—both the Victorian exterior and early 20th-century remodeling of the interior—all the while making room for their own stylistic preferences. Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) LLP was brought on to renovate, restore and reconfigure the townhouse in a meticulous multi-phase project spanning 11 years.
The architecture firm had previously worked on similar residential restoration projects in the city and had an existing lexicon of detail on which to rely. The design team supplemented that knowledge in a highly investigative process with the clients—digging into archives; exploring neighboring homes; and taking cues from remnants, such as those hidden behind dropped ceilings. The homeowners preferred Adamesque characteristics over Victorian, and the objective was to develop a cohesive balance between the two.
SPACE PLANNING FOR CONTEMPORARY LIVING
The first phase covered the sub-basement, basement, first floor, a new garden, new garage and restoration of the south elevation. New mechanical and electrical systems were installed. The primary challenge at this stage was the restructuring of the “chopped up” doctor-office floorplan on the first floor for residential needs.
Gardens were added in collaboration with Landscape Architect Victoria Steiger. The composition of these green areas, previously barren, places the interior viewer’s gaze at the center and strategizes the placement of the features—a water-lily pond, fountain wall, connecting loggia, vines supported by iron armatures, hedging—while maximizing sightlines from the seating and fenestration across the different floors. Paving patterns build the walking experience. In the rear, a new garage was brought in and, on its roof, yet another garden.
Replacing what were likely the original kitchen and service rooms in the rear is a new library, almost 50-feet long, with a design that was inspired by the “long halls” of English country houses. The area is accessed with a new side entrance and features expansive garden views.
The second phase addressed the street façade and remaining floors, encompassing the primary kitchen, entertaining rooms, dining area, bedrooms and home offices. The clients were required to relocate for an elongated period during this phase.
The dining room on the second floor was reduced in size to place a mantelpiece at its very center. The extra space was granted to a full-scale commercial kitchen, decked with professional-grade appliances and 12 feet of cooking surfaces for high cooking capacity—so high that city building inspectors erroneously believed the townhouse was being converted to a restaurant. Although unconventional, the choice of having the primary kitchen on the second floor is an example of how VMA tailored the home to the homeowners’ needs, desires and routines rather than the other way around. In this case, the homeowners specifically asked to have the traffic flow focused on the second floor. A small catering kitchen serves the first floor.
PHOTOS: Jeffrey Totaro unless otherwise noted