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Opening Chestnuts
Opening Chestnuts
Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Other Projects by MaMo Architects
Opening Chestnuts
Philadelphia, PA, United States
Firm
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2024
SIZE
5000 sqft - 10,000 sqft
BUDGET
$1M - 5M
Opening Chestnuts is a renovation of a 1970s residence situated on a prominent corner lot in Philadelphia’s Chestnut Hill neighborhood, with long views toward a historic golf course. While the home possessed a clear architectural lineage and undeniable charm, its interior was defined by a rigid, inward-looking plan that limited light, movement, and connection to the surrounding landscape.
MaMo’s approach was to carefully break open that rigidity. The design concept focused on introducing light and permeability—cracking the hard shell of the house without erasing its history. New dormers were added, all windows were replaced, and select interior walls were removed to liberate the plan and establish clearer spatial relationships. These interventions allow light to travel through the home and create a more fluid, contemporary experience of living.
The original architecture drew heavily from colonial precedent, with enclosed rooms and traditional proportions. Rather than reject this language, the renovation builds upon it. Historic materials and details—brick floors, exposed beams, and crafted millwork—anchor the project, while modern insertions subtly recalibrate the house for present-day life. The result is a quiet dialogue between past and present, where restraint and warmth coexist.
This balance reflects the sensibilities of the homeowners themselves. One brings an affinity for reductive modernism rooted in European design traditions; the other draws inspiration from American colonial architecture and a confident use of color. The architecture mediates these perspectives, combining clarity and structure with texture, depth, and personality.
Opening Chestnut is ultimately a study in continuity—how a home can be opened, lightened, and reimagined while remaining deeply connected to its origins. It is an architecture shaped by place, by contrast, and by the lived experience of those who inhabit it.
MaMo’s approach was to carefully break open that rigidity. The design concept focused on introducing light and permeability—cracking the hard shell of the house without erasing its history. New dormers were added, all windows were replaced, and select interior walls were removed to liberate the plan and establish clearer spatial relationships. These interventions allow light to travel through the home and create a more fluid, contemporary experience of living.
The original architecture drew heavily from colonial precedent, with enclosed rooms and traditional proportions. Rather than reject this language, the renovation builds upon it. Historic materials and details—brick floors, exposed beams, and crafted millwork—anchor the project, while modern insertions subtly recalibrate the house for present-day life. The result is a quiet dialogue between past and present, where restraint and warmth coexist.
This balance reflects the sensibilities of the homeowners themselves. One brings an affinity for reductive modernism rooted in European design traditions; the other draws inspiration from American colonial architecture and a confident use of color. The architecture mediates these perspectives, combining clarity and structure with texture, depth, and personality.
Opening Chestnut is ultimately a study in continuity—how a home can be opened, lightened, and reimagined while remaining deeply connected to its origins. It is an architecture shaped by place, by contrast, and by the lived experience of those who inhabit it.
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