丨美国华盛顿丨Ballard + Mensua Architecture

Garden Retreat -- The Big Dig

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Before

Garden Retreat -- The Big Dig

Washington, D.C.

Following the successful interior renovation of this 6,500-square-foot custom home, Phase 2 of the project shifts focus to the challenging exterior site and facade. Located on a steeply sloped lot, the property presented significant issues: poor water drainage from uphill neighbors, limited outdoor space for a family with three children, an unsafe winter driveway, and a home that felt oversized and disconnected from its surroundings.

Ballard Mensua Architecture has filed for permits and is set to completely reshape the site with a series of strategic enhancements:

Full backyard excavation to create a usable lawn and play area, supported by stepped retaining walls and a comprehensive landscape plan

Addition of a covered porch and outdoor kitchen, with a second-story exercise room

Construction of a custom garden shed topped with an upper-level basketball terrace

Front porch expansion to reduce the visual scale of the home and introduce charm and human scale

New textured, heated driveway designed for safer winter access

Dig-out beneath the porch for added storage

Replacement of builder-grade windows and full exterior repainting, moving away from dated yellow, green, and brown tones

This phase transforms not just the usability of the property, but also its street presence—making it more inviting, practical, and family-friendly.