This Live/Work Home in Philadelphia Gets Its Layout From the Renaissance

A blackened cube makes for a striking addition to a historic Philadelphia neighborhood.

As published in Dwell, November 12, 2019

A blackened cube makes for a striking addition to a historic Philadelphia neighborhood.

The neighborhood is quintessential South Philadelphia. East of the city’s Italian Market along the Delaware River, Pennsport’s streets are lined with weathered brick row houses and anchored by 19th-century school buildings and grand churches. The clubs that participate in the Mummers Parade, the colorful folk festival held on New Year’s Day every year since 1901, have their workshops along 2nd Street.

Charred cypress and stained cedar wrap a three-story home in South Philadelphia. Owners Orna and Reid Willis worked with local firm Qb3 to create an open, light-filled space in an area better known for row houses. "People stare at our home and then … — Charred cypress and stained cedar wrap a three-story home in South Philadelphia. Owners Orna and Reid Willis worked with local firm Qb3 to create an open, light-filled space in an area better known for row houses. "People stare at our home and then Reid proceeds to invite them in," says Orna. The windows are by Jeld-Wen. **Photo by Halkin Mason**

The area provided the perfect canvas for artist Orna Willis and her husband, Reid, an attorney. They wanted to live in one of the city’s older neighborhoods, but they also needed an open, live/work space with a significant amount of natural light—which is not easy to find when many of the homes are more than a century old and no more than 12 to 16 feet wide. They hit upon a solution when they acquired three adjacent vacant lots and hired local architecture firm Qb3 to make the most of their combined footprint.

Leather sling chairs from CB2 surround a dining table by Joel Duprass. Photo by Halkin Mason — Leather sling chairs from CB2 surround a dining table by Joel Duprass. **Photo by Halkin Mason**

Qb3 created a near-perfect 38-foot cube, with living and work spaces divided across three floors. Partners Kevin Angstadt, Patrycja Doniewski, and Stephen Mileto looked to a concept with Renaissance roots for inspiration: the piano nobile, or "noble floor," in which the main living and entertaining areas of a home are on the second story, up and away from the noise of the street.

An indoor greenhouse enlivens the living area. Track lighting by WAC complements the metal-framed glass walls, which were designed by Qb3 and fabricated by En Motion Design. Photo by Halkin Mason — An indoor greenhouse enlivens the living area. Track lighting by WAC complements the metal-framed glass walls, which were designed by Qb3 and fabricated by En Motion Design. **Photo by Halkin Mason**

Fortunately for Reid, Orna, and their teenage daughter, Nina, Pennsport is already pretty serene, so the noble floor isn’t so much protected from the noise as it is perfectly positioned for afternoon light. With northern and southern exposure and walls of floor-to-ceiling windows, the space affords leafy views rarely found in an urban setting. "I get the sense of being in a tree house the moment I go to the second floor," Orna says.

"I was okay with any shape, but the only way I could get as much light and open space as I wanted was if the house was wide," says Orna. The rug is from CB2. Photo by Halkin Mason — "I was okay with any shape, but the only way I could get as much light and open space as I wanted was if the house was wide," says Orna. The rug is from CB2. **Photo by Halkin Mason**

A glass-enclosed winter garden full of thriving plants adds more greenery and acts as a room divider, as does a glass wall near the kitchen, but their transparency gives the entire floor a sense of flexibility and ease. "Doing partitioning work without solid walls leads to a feeling of openness, but the glass panels give it a geometry and logic," says Mileto.

A rug from CB2 and plates by Fornasetti hang in the stairwell. Photo by Halkin Mason — A rug from CB2 and plates by Fornasetti hang in the stairwell. **Photo by Halkin Mason**

On the third floor, both bedrooms open onto a family room featuring an upright piano for Nina, who is already an accomplished composer. The first floor houses Orna’s studio, a spacious area full of colorful beads and strands of hand-dyed silk in every imaginable hue.

Orna, an artist, often holds workshops in her ground-floor studio. The poufs are by the Opalhouse collection from Target. Photo by Halkin Mason — Orna, an artist, often holds workshops in her ground-floor studio. The poufs are by the Opalhouse collection from Target. **Photo by Halkin Mason**

A few steps lead down to the covered courtyard, garden, and backyard sitting area. Reid has a film library and screening room in the basement where he can watch his favorite classic movies. The home’s exterior is wrapped in cypress treated in the Japanese shou sugi ban technique, in which deliberate charring preserves the wood and lends its surface a rich charcoal color.

As in many nearby Philadelphia neighborhoods, Pennsport has recently seen its vacant lots and older houses replaced by larger structures—some far out of scale with the neighborhood. With its unusual color and form, Reidand Orna’s house is an undeniably contemporary presence, but one that the two hope eases into the neighborhood. "It’s not an ostentatious house," Orna says. "It doesn’t scream."