Every spring, the Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association presents awards to the best Small Volume and Custom Builders in the region. The award-winning homes feature graceful architectural design, high-quality construction, luxurious materials, custom finishes, and a whole lot of “wow” factor. We’re proud to partner with the MNCBIA each year to bring you exclusive coverage of these beautiful homes and present a selection of the winners. For full coverage of all the winners, please visit the awards gallery on ChesapeakeHome.com.
BANKS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Speculative home 3,500 to 5,000 square feet*
Transitional custom home*
Architect: GTM Architects
Photography: Bob Narod
*Winner of two gold awards
These two Banks Development projects were honored with gold awards in recognition of their ability to blend high-quality traditional details with contemporary lifestyle amenities.
The award winning Transitional Custom Home is designed in the popular Arts-and-Crafts style. Satisfying the clients’ request for a home that is informal, warm, and unimposing, a mix of stone, stained cedar shingle siding, board and batten siding, and copper gutters and flashing create a timeless exterior. Inside, the decision to forego traditional dining and living rooms in favor of a large farmhouse style kitchen and open living spaces conveys the desired sense of informality.
In the Speculative Luxury Home category, the house design drew inspiration from the style and grace of the well-made older houses of the Chevy Chase area. Authentic traditional detailing includes true hard coat stucco, mitered corners on the wood columns, fully operable louvered shutters, and six-inch cherry flooring.
BELL BUILDERS, INC.
Traditional Custom Home*
Whole House Renovation Over 2,000 square feet*
Architect: Hutchinson & Associates, LLC
Photography: homevisit.com
*Winner of two gold awards
With two gold awards this year, Bell Builders illustrates their ability to produce high-quality construction for new homes as well as renovations and additions. The award-winning new home in the Traditional Home category seamlessly blends traditional detailing with 21st century technology. The winner for Whole House Renovation over 2,000 square feet is recognized for overcoming the challenge of updating a traditionally-styled older house to make it perform according the needs of the owners’ contemporary lifestyle.
BETHESDA BUNGALOWS
Custom Home 3,500 to 5,000 square feet
Built in the bungalow style to fit in with the existing homes on “bungalow row” in Chevy Chase, this award-winning home captures the essence of a modern movement toward making the most of every space as popularized in the book, The Not So Big House. This four bedroom, four-and-a-half bath home is accented with stained cedar shingles, Hardiplank, stone pillars, and fir columns outside and on the inside with stained curly maple millwork, Brazilian cherry flooring, and an authentic bungalow style custom kitchen.
BOWA BUILDERS
Whole House Renovation Over 2,000 square feet
Architect: Kramer Architects
Photography: Bob Narod
Winning top honors for Whole House Renovation over 2,000 square feet, a BOWA Builders project includes an extensive renovation of the home’s interior, several additions, total regrading of the rear of the property, and modifications to the front elevation that created an entirely new feel to the home—inside and out. Key features of the renovation include a fresher, more inviting entry and porch, a breakfast room and screened porch addition, a new rooftop balcony, and a new pool area with spa, water features, fire pit, and landscaping.
CHRISLER HOMES, LLC
Condominium Renovation
Architect: Horne International
Photography: Bob Narod
This renovation of a 3,800 square foot condominium began with a complete floor-to-ceiling demolition. To create a better flow and sense of space, some of the door openings were widened, others were eliminated, walls were built, ceilings raised, built-ins added, and moldings customized. Brazilian cherry floors, custom stucco, glazed wall finishes, and custom furnishings create a sense of sophistication the homeowners desired.
CRESCENDO BUILDERS
New or Remodeled Kitchen
Photography: Allan Goldstein
Initial plans to update this kitchen with new cabinets and appliances quickly evolved into a major renovation including opening up the space to create more integration and flow within the living, dining, and kitchen area. In order to improve the way the homeowners used their home, a large gathering space was created by removing two of the kitchen walls and creating an island as well as adding new appliances, cabinetry, and lighting, and reworking the heating and air conditioning system.
DOUGLAS CONSTRUCTION GROUP, LLC
Transitional Custom Home
Architect: Claude C. Lapp, AIA
Photography: Jeff Perez
This Italian villa style home was inspired by the owners’ trips to Italy and the beautiful homes they encountered during their travels. Two years of architectural research and planning culminated in an award-winning home featuring many Old World elements. Details of the home include 12-inch eastern pine flooring, handcrafted railings, a terra cotta roof, and gas coach lights. The architectural simplicity of the villa style lends itself well to the homeowners’ request for open spaces conducive to entertaining, and rooms within the home are often defined by decorative columns that indicate transition from one space to the next.
LAURENCE CAFRITZ BUILDERS
Speculative Home 5,000 to 7,500 square feet
Architect: Sutton Yantis Associates Architects
Photography: Lydia Cutter
Design priorities for this speculative home included open spaces, functionality, and natural light in a large home with six bedrooms and five-and-a-half baths. Key features of the house include ten-foot ceilings, a welcoming entry and spacious foyer with views through to a flagstone screened porch and the backyard, custom built-ins, a bright, cheery breakfast room, and architecturally interesting rooflines.
MILLER DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Speculative Home Under 3,500 square feet
Architect: Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC
Photography: Artiga Photo
The challenges of building this new speculative home began at the design stage, where issues related to a small, sloping corner lot in Bethesda first needed to be addressed. Once appropriate siting was established, the house itself needed to fit in with the existing neighborhood. To do so, the exterior features such natural materials as stone, cedar, copper, and mahogany complemented by a historic green for the siding. Inside, the design prioritizes comfort, livability, and style.
ROSENTHAL HOMES
Contemporary Custom Home
Architect: Alter Urban LLC
Photography: Bob Narod
The two primary goals for designing this award-winning house were to create spaces that were perfectly suited for holding events and fundraisers as well as for great weekend pool parties for friends. These goals and the homeowner’s love of pop art and modern design informed the design and construction of this contemporary home, unique among the other older, more traditional houses in the Washington, DC neighborhood. Cutting edge and one-of-a-kind materials such as custom light fixtures, rubber sinks, and a master bathtub hand carved from a solid block of marble were incorporated into the modern interior. The multiple large bars, serving areas, and butler’s kitchen were all designed specifically to accommodate effortless, elegant, and stylish entertaining. The exterior of the home is equally stunning, and the focal point pool courtyard is accented with a unique diamond pattern cut stone and turf “patio.”
SANDY SPRING BUILDERS, LLC
Custom Home Over 12,000 square feet
Architect: Glenn Chen Fong
Photography: Michael Kress/MBK & Assoc.
Designed and built in the style of French country homes the owners had encountered during their travels, this award-winning home features not only high-quality construction but also a unique list of materials collected in France. On a trip to the Paris markets, the homeowner compiled four shipping containers full of materials and artifacts that would be incorporated into the construction of the home. Hand-chiseled limestone, arch-top shutters, antique fireplace mantles, used firebrick for the fireplace masonry, an antique sink and faucet, hardwood flooring, doors, and more combine to create an authentic French Country home—right here in Bethesda.
STUDIO Z CONCEPTS
Speculative Traditional Home*
Custom Home 5,000 to 7,500 square feet*
Photography: Stu Estler
Winner of two gold awards
Garnering two gold awards as well as two silvers and a bronze, Studio Z’s projects were once again recognized this year for high-quality design and construction.
The Custom Home between 5,000 and 7,000 square feet winner is recognized for being a house that maximizes views as well as creates spaces perfect for both privacy and entertaining. The large home is sited on a former working farm to incorporate views of the surrounding mountains and countryside. The central family room and large kitchen facilitate entertaining, while a master suite wing creates a cozy retreat for two.
Winning in the Speculative Traditional Home category, an Arts-and-Crafts style home features such distinguishing architectural elements as lowered rooflines and natural materials that tie the house into its surrounding environment. Inside, a bright and open floor plan, details like coffered ceilings, a large master suite, and a common family area combine to create a balance of form and function.
TULACRO DEVELOPMENT, LLC
Custom Home 7,500 to 12,500 square feet
Architect: Claude C. Lapp, AIA
Photography: Hadley Photography
This large custom home was designed to accommodate a young, growing family with two adults, both with home-based businesses, and three boys. In addition to providing functional solutions for living and entertaining, the house also offers private spaces for the family and guests. To make the house as eco-friendly and efficient as possible, such unique systems and materials as tankless hot water heaters, ENERGYSTAR® appliances, custom concrete countertops, and spray-foam insulation were specified for construction.
CLICK HERE for a list of all the winners.
