Spectacular Spec Home: New DC Dwelling for $9.9M Is ‘Habitable Art’

A 12,200-square-foot Washington DC, home offers the unusual opportunity to live inside a piece of art.

The new construction, designed by architect David Jameson, first came onto the market in 2020 for $12.95 million. It’s now back on the market for $9.9 million.

Chris Leary, listing agent with HRL Partners and Washington Fine Properties, calls it a modern masterpiece. It’s also a unique project for Jameson.

“He has been building custom homes for the end user for 30 years,” he says. “This is sort of his baby, his masterpiece after all those years.”

Leary notes that the home signifies a first for the architect: the decision to build a house on speculation rather than for a particular client.

“This is [Jameson’s] first spec house he has built for the public to purchase,” Leary says.

‘Above and beyond’

Leary has nothing but praise for the remarkable home.

“It’s amazing,” he says. “We sell about 60 or 70 houses a year in my office, and I’ve been doing this for about 18 years, and this is probably my favorite house I have ever listed. It’s above and beyond your typical home in Washington, DC.”

Jameson describes the home as “habitable art”—an appraisal that truly fits.

“I think that’s exactly what I felt when I saw it and walked through it for the first time,” Leary says. “It’s museum quality with drama everywhere on a huge scale. But also at the same time, you feel very comfortable, and it’s not pretentious. It’s not intimidating. You feel very peaceful and serene when you’re inside, and that is [Jameson’s] goal.”

Outside, the six-bedroom structure is wrapped with bronze panels; handmade, English clay-brick tiles; and mahogany windows and doors.

Inside, there are high ceilings, modern and livable interiors, and walls of glass.

“It’s jaw-dropping is the only way to say it—the scale is wild,” Leary marvels, explaining that Jameson had the home’s glass panels installed with the same crane that was used to construct the Freedom Tower in Manhattan. “Something used to build enormous glass lobbies in New York City is building a private residence in Washington.”

In addition to the main house, there is an etched-glass cube that serves as a pool house. And the pool itself certainly adds an artful touch.

“My very favorite thing about the house, which I’ve never seen in any other house, is one of [Jameson’s] signatures—he puts the pool fairly close to the home,” Leary says, observing that the sun reflects shadows off of the pool onto the ceilings inside the house.

Each of the home’s three levels is about 3,000 square feet. Most bedrooms, including the primary, are on the second level. The third level has an additional bedroom suite, a recreation room, an office, and a kitchenette.

“Sliding glass walls open out to a 2,000-square-foot roof terrace, and that is also lined with a green roof with succulents and plants,” Leary says, adding that the roof requires no special care. “It’s a green and environmentally friendly way to protect the roof.”

The climate-controlled garage has parking for more than six cars.

Plus, the property is near Battery Kemble Park and convenient to the surrounding area.

This house “is really is for anybody,” Leary insists. “It’s for somebody who likes to entertain, somebody who loves modern architecture, somebody who loves vistas, and somebody that needs to be within close proximity to downtown Washington, DC. … You hop in your car, and you’re at the White House in 15 minutes.”

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