These homeowners moved to Fitler Square as empty nesters and wanted to add a roof deck to relax and enjoy with family and friends. 

Separately, they wanted to open the walled interior staircases from the 1st to 3rd floors, completing the building's conversion from a duplex to single family home. During demolition of these staircase walls, we discovered a wall within a wall that had a stunning hand-painted mural of Ben Franklin Parkway on its original plaster. The artist signed the work, though we could make out only the date: 1957. We meticulously preserved the artwork, removing the entire wall section - studs, lath and all - so it wouldn’t crumble. We encased it in an acrylic frame and mounted it on the wall of the 3rd story primary suite. 

We installed a custom interior spiral staircase from the 3rd floor suite to a new, rooftop pilot house, a small addition that opens onto the 400-square-foot roof deck. For the decking and privacy fence we used oak that had been thermally-modified, an innovative process that gives natural wood an enhanced appearance and additional resistance to decay. The horizontal railings and privacy wall slats, also modified oak, contribute to the modern aesthetic while serving to block the sound and view of the neighbor’s rooftop HVAC unit. 

As always, we wanted to provide a seamless visual experience from the ground floor to the deck. We linked the interior oak floors to the oak decking by custom-making oak treads for the new spiral staircase. We also mirrored the existing oak window and door trim on the 3rd floor by giving the interior of the pilot house’s windows and door the same treatment, though we used pieces of the oak decking. We relocated and repurposed a stained-glass transom window that had been built into the original roof structure, and we installed the prettiest ceiling fan we’ve ever seen. The black door and window, along with the painted fiber-cement cladding, provide a sleek, contemporary counterpoint to the natural, aging wood of the oak decking.