Architect Robert Gurney’s 5 best homes in the D.C. area

In Washington, D.C., there are plenty of architects worth knowing, from James Hoban (designer of the White House) to Suman Sorg (designer of the John and Jill Ker Conway Residence). One architect in particular is known for his Modern, meticulously detailed residential and commercial projects. This architect is Robert Gurney.

The office of Robert Gurney has won over 270 local, regional, and national design awards, while also being featured in magazines, books, periodicals, and a monograph. With such a body of work, it’s difficult to choose just five to feature, but Curbed DC has done that here.

Below, get an inside look at some of the best projects in the D.C. area ever designed by Robert Gurney, from a classy single-family home in Washington, D.C.’s Spring Valley to a totally redone residence in McLean, Virginia.

↑ 4 Springs Lane

Rappahannock County, Virginia

This glassy, Robert Gurney-designed single-family home has won a myriad of awards, including the D.C. chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIAlDC) 2014 Award for Excellence in Architecture. Washingtonian Magazine also awarded it the 2014 Honor Award.

Part of what makes this home so fabulous is its awareness of the 24-acre site. Throughout the home, guests are able to enjoy the rolling topography through floor-to-ceiling windows and minimal interior spaces.

↑ Overlook Road House

Spring Valley, Washington, D.C.

Constructed in the 1950s, this residence was once rather drab. In 2011, architect Robert Gurney totally renovated this 1954-built single-family home into a glassy, contemporary stunner with limestone, beech, teak, and rosewood accents.

The renovations ended up being so remarkable that the American Institute of Architects awarded Gurney the 2014 Award of Merit in Interior Architecture once the project was complete.

The home is currently on the market for $3.85 million.

↑ Town House

Chinatown, Washington, D.C.

Originally, this c. 1910-built property was home to the corporate headquarters of the District of Columbia Lung Association. In order to refresh the turn-of-the-century abode into something more modern, architect Robert Gurney gutted the interior and added a skylight the width of the building in 2009.

Other major changes involved adding adding a third floor and rooftop deck, retaining the existing brick walls, and installing a galvanized steel wall.

If interested, this listing is for sale with a $3,695,000 asking price.

↑ Difficult Run Residence

McLean, Virginia

This home, located on a seven-acre, sloping, wooded lot, was completely renovated by Robert Gurney with a new detached, three-car garage and guest house constructed.

When work was being done to the 1965-built home, all interior finishes were stripped, spaces were opened up, and walls were removed. A new window system was also installed. In the end, the plan for the residence was for it to be minimal and Modern, and that plan ended up being a success.

This home won the 2013 Award of Excellence from the Northern Virginia chapter of the AIA as well as Washingtonian Magazine’s 2016 Residential Design Award.

↑ Wissioming Residence

Glen Echo, Maryland

Last but not least, here is another award-winning home with a brand new pool, suspended 20 feet above ground.

A detached structure of the residence serves as an office as well as a garage and guest suite. This structure is meant to “serve as a lantern to the main house,” according to the Robert Gurney website.

Other elements include wood siding, stainless steel and black steel window frames, as well as white terrazzo flooring.

This residence is the recipient of multiple awards, including the AIA’s 2008 Housing Award, the AIA Baltimore chapter’s 2008 Residential Design Award, and the Washingtonian Magazine’s 2008 Residential Design Award.