Kripper, who grew up in Uruguay, came to Boston in 2007 to work for the architecture and urban design firm Machado Silvetti; about 10 years ago, he opened his own firm. He said he is especially fond of adaptive reuse projects. “It’s very rewarding work to bring historic buildings back to life,” he said.
This building’s interior — made up of small, fragmented spaces, outdated systems, and decaying materials — was gutted. The exterior shell, however, was treated as an important element of a historic neighborhood, particularly on the street-facing façade.
The house is now sheathed with crisp white siding. Traditional elements include the original fieldstone above the foundation; copper eaves; cedar on the porch spindles, foundation lattice, and underside of the porch roof; and black metal frames and casements for the windows, doors, and skylight. A horizontal band halfway up the side of the building reflects its division into two units. To show off the refreshed Victorian styling, crews removed the overgrown bushes, so the house is again fully visible from the street.
While the front looks as it once might have, the rear is unabashedly new. Black metal siding marks an elevator shaft, a rooftop dormer, and a contemporary bay window. Contemporary doors offer access to each of the two units, and there is a new two-car garage and a heated driveway.
To create two spacious units, Kripper found additional living space in areas usually relegated to storage: the basement and the attic. In Unit 1, which measures 2,565 square feet and occupies the first floor and basement, he excavated to create 9-foot ceiling heights on the lower level. Unit 2, at 2,386 square feet, gained a lofty upper story when he raised the attic ceiling to the rafters. Each four-bedroom unit connects the levels using elegant cantilevered staircases with oak risers. An elevator serves Unit 2..
“We wanted to create as open an interior floor plan as possible,” Kripper said. To support that volume of space, a concealed large steel beam spans the building from front to back at the height of the dividing line between the two units.
“The spaces have an appearance of effortlessness, but it took a lot of precision and craftsmanship to get that look,” he explained.
Kripper called the town of Brookline “very progressive” in its management of historic districts and buildings.
“The policy is: Restore in kind, but when adding, do not do ‘fake old’ and mimic what is there,” he said. “That made for a satisfying and successful renovation.
“As architects, we want to add to buildings, but when working with old buildings, it takes a certain amount of care. We sometimes have to just let the building reveal itself. It’s not always easy to find the balance.”
At 523 Washington St., the balance between a Victorian exterior and a modern interior is a stunning combination.
Regina Cole can be reached at coleregina@mac.com. Subscribe to the Globe’s free real estate newsletter — our weekly digest on buying, selling, and design — at pages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUp. Follow us on Twitter @GlobeHomes and Boston.com on Facebook.