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ATRIUM HOUSE | BACK BAY CONTEMPORARY TOWNHOUSE

The owner of this property in Boston's Back Bay could clearly see the potential of a townhouse in the heart of the city — but the dark, compartmented interiors of the Victorian era were not conducive to the large social gatherings the owner intended to host. With a vision for bright, sociable spaces, the solution was to create a wide-open first floor with a central three-story atrium.

Upon entering, the front door opens unexpectedly into a sunlit stairwell at the center of the structure. Built into a three-story, lightly laid schist wall is a banquette dining table lit by pendant lights hung from the top of the atrium. To encourage flow, what used to be a series of dark, divided rooms is now uninterrupted space — from a gleaming new kitchen at the front to a warmly modern living room at the rear. One floor up, a transparent glass bridge spans the triple-height space, connecting two new bedroom suites and allowing light to penetrate down to the entry. At the top level, a home office with a custom steel and wood desk now opens onto a private reading terrace in a new dormer, and overlooks the entry from three floors above. Across the open space are a media room, a guest bathroom, and stairs to a renovated roof deck. The rooftop, with its stainless steel kitchenette, affords 360-degree views of the city, and an all-weather TV and infrared heater make the built-in, naturally weathering cedar banquette the perfect place to relax with friends most of the year.

Warm and tactile materials and abundant natural light soften the apartment's modern aesthetic. Matte white lacquer cabinetry and a soft, reconstituted gray wood veneer complement the white Carrara marble kitchen island and stainless steel prep counters. Custom stained oak flooring and stainless steel and wood railings unite the common spaces of the apartment. The clean-lined furniture, with practical but luxe fabrics, allows more whimsical pieces — Naoto Fukasawa's "Papilio" wing chairs with dressmaker zippered backs, and two Tom Everhart "Peanuts" lithographs — to stand out. The overall effect is both soothing and uplifting: a perfect respite at the end of a busy day in the city.

Location |Boston, MA
Completion | 2013
Architecture and Interior Design | Ruhl Walker Architects (predecessor firm)
General Contractor | The Holland Companies
Photography| Michael J. Lee Photography

AWARDS
Interior Architecture / Interior Design Award
Boston Society of Architects, 2015

Grand Award, Architectural Interiors
Builder’s Choice & Custom Home
Design Awards 2014

Small Firms Design Award
Boston Society of Architects, 2014

PRESS
Custom Home Magazine
Fall 2014
The Atrium House, Boston

New England Home Magazine
March-April 2014
The Light Within

Dwell Magazine
Atrium House

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