When we learned that our clients admired the classical proportions of late-eighteenth century French houses, we found that no building could provide a more appropriate inspiration for this house than the Pavillion de la Lanterne, Versailles’ paradigm of domestic elegance. A lanterne is a building whose single room depth and aligned openings allow for natural light to flow freely throughout the structure, giving it a distinctly see-through quality. Though their lot was large, our clients were highly respectful of the scale their neighboring houses. We took great care establishing an axial building which would reinforce and compliment the fabric of the street, rather than overpower it, placing a large focus on the siting and massing of the house within the park-like garden space that would grow to surround it.

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