A late-19th-century carriage house on the WIS Tregaron campus, converted into a flexible academic studio and gathering space. The exterior envelope is protected historic fabric; the interior is a new building set inside it. The brief was straightforward and the constraints were not — preserve everything visible from the campus path, make everything inside it work for modern teaching, and don't disturb the term schedule.
Old
envelope,
new room.
The exterior masonry and original wood trim were stabilized and selectively repaired. New steel and timber were inserted to support a mezzanine and a clear-span studio floor — none of the new structure touches the historic exterior shell.
Self-performed carpentry crew rebuilt the original carriage doors as operable pivot panels. Replacement masonry units were sourced from a regional reclaimer to match the original brick. The roof was reframed in concealed steel under the existing slate.
Scope
Exterior masonry restoration · Slate roof rebuild · Historic carpentry (self-performed) · New steel mezzanine and stairs · Mechanical systems with concealed routing · Radiant floor heat · LED lighting with daylight integration · ADA accessibility upgrades · Site work and stormwater.
The team
that built
it.
Architect: Studio Twenty Seven · Historic consultant: EHT Traceries · Structural: SK&A · MEP: GHT Limited · Landscape: Oehme van Sweden · Owner: Washington International School.
Reviewed and approved by the DC Historic Preservation Office. Tregaron is a designated historic district within the Cleveland Park neighborhood.