Alleyways hold historical significance for housing in Washington, D.C. After the Civil War, alleys provided safe houses for freed enslaved people as well as housing for those with lower income. By the 1890s, Black communities turned the alleys into their own tightknit support system. However, the introduction of cars (which converted alleys to parking lots) and increasing activism against what was perceived as poor, slum neighborhoods led to many of these residences being demolished by the Alley Dwelling Authority in the 1930s and ‘40s. Now, with rising housing shortages in the capital, alleys are an opportunity to add much-needed residential relief. In an alley in Capital Hill, local firm BLDUS contributes to this mission with a natural, meaningful home, Brown House.
Led by Jack Becker and Andrew Linn, BLDUS is practice grounded in what the firm calls a “farm-to-shelter” ethos. In other words, local natural materials are united with vernacular, contextual buildings to foster connectedness. The same principles guide Brown House. The 2-story, 1,600-square-foot residence is clad in black locust wood slats, cork, and bamboo structural walls insulated with hemp. The material palette, aptly all brown and beige colors, creates an array of grids and rectilinear lines of slats when viewed from one side.
While alley homes can appear to look and feel inward, the design of Brown House prioritizes a physical and visual connection with the surrounding area while safeguarding privacy. A rooftop garden, balconies, and vestibule and terrace offer outdoor areas, hemmed in by the wood structure. Inside, glass block, clerestory windows, and skylights ensure lots of daylight while blocking visibility from those outside.
Continuity with the outside means the interior material palette is also aligned with the exterior. A spray cork finish lines the ceilings, bamboo panels are left exposed and stained with PolyWhey (a by-product of the cheese industry), and cellulose and hemp insulation fill the hollow wall cavities and flat roofs. The result is an interior that is warm and timeless. The architects chose the natural, healthy palette of materials to encourage an equally healthy lifestyle. Indeed, amongst the reddish brown tiles, wood grains, and paper lantern pendants, it’s easy to imagine thoughtful, meaningfully mundane domesticity here à la Perfect Days.
The layout of the home, like the design overall, considers living while aging in place. The bedroom-and-bathroom suite is located on the first floor. Should mobility issues ever arise all living could be done on this floor. The second level houses two more bedrooms and bathrooms. A switchback, central stair, lit beneath a skylight and enclosed with vertical wood slats, connects the two floors and roof, while still being a thoughtful visual element on its own.
The rooftop takes the farm-to-shelter ethos most literally. Up here planters allow the homeowners to grow food to eat and sustain themselves. The planters are just as economical as the home: The beds use rainfall to water the plants, while runoff on the roof is collected and drained into cisterns that are used to irrigate plantings along the north facade and in the south garden.
With a light carbon footprint and locally sourced materials whenever possible, Brown House is a home that considers its inhabitants as well as its environment—and nature has taken notice. Already two bird nests have made their home atop this alley dwelling. One farm, many shelters.