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By Kymberly Taylor
Photography by Anice Hoachlander
When designing this home tucked into the hills of Great Falls, architect Donald Lococo did something daring: he fractured one of America’s most traditional architectural forms—the gable, a roof with two sloping sides that form a point. He literally split apart this ubiquitous symbol of home and shelter, creating two half-gables. The gables are separated by a horizontal rectangle with a flat black roof protecting a wall of windows. None of the windows on the façade have sills. Also trimmed in black, they introduce a modern industrial aesthetic that contrasts with the traditional warm flesh-toned stone. “The black bounces off of the stone and gives it that counterpoint. It makes it pop, like mascara,” notes Lococo.
Each gable has a dramatic angle, especially the one on the left. “It’s meant to look like it could go on and on, like the hillside,” notes Lococo. The stacked stone appears almost seamless because it is “dry-laid,” which means the mortar is cleverly hidden from view.
“This home reflects what the owners value, which is tradition, but it is still something new and fresh,” he adds. You would never know that the couple, a spine surgeon and his wife, initially wanted Lococo to design a traditional Edwardian home they found in a book. However, their new home did not come from a preconceived plan. Instead, it evolved from detailed conversations about their lives. “They tell me about what they do. I create activity and then draw the walls around that activity—and that becomes the house. I don’t draw boxes and then put people in them,” explains Lococo.
There may be walls, but there is also plenty of glass providing stately views of forest and valley. He explains that the interior’s light-filled “glassy center” opens to connect interior communal areas bookended by stone gables. As one enters the home, the hallway decked with contemporary art opens to a formal dining room on the right. Organic family spaces blossom to the left as one progresses, with one space merging into another, eventually becoming a two-story great room with stone and glass walls. The hallway terminates at the kitchen, the homeowner’s “command central.”
She shared that her idea of happiness is to stand in one spot and see her family interacting, even if very simply. From the kitchen, she can feed the children at the island, oversee a family room, then pivot and view the screened-in porch and pool.
The kitchen is a thoughtful traditional workspace, with lively marble countertops by Breccia Rosso Marble discovered by the homeowner. The space feels manageable because the stove is situated against an open wall. On its other side is another hallway that either steps down to a well-appointed mudroom or leads across the hall to a butler’s pantry that conveniently adjoins the dining room.
She notes their style is casual and comfortable and gestures to the family room, composed of soft tones, including shades of gray. “We have pizza and movie night there every Friday.” With a fireplace and cozy couches, this recessed space can easily accommodate both parents, three young children, two large dogs, and a cat.
Though the home is approximately 13,000 square feet, Lococo points out that no single room is too large. The kitchen is small enough that you can have a conversation in it. “You can hear each other even if you are whispering. The biggest conversations happen when you are making a kid a sandwich and pretend you are not listening. The walls parenthesize those intimate relationships,” says Lococo.
Intimate spaces flow from one room to another. Lococo has created a personal architecture for his clients and a floor plan that reflects the footsteps of their children and the pattern of their lives. What makes this home especially compelling is the architect’s subtle manipulation of form. The massive twin peaks and rough-dressed stone walls encourage a sense of security. Yet, as this home rises from the land at twilight, power animates the gables and their fractured symmetry.
ARCHITECT: Donald Lococo, Donald Lococo Architects
BUILDER: Darius Brown, Phoenix Builders
INTERIOR DESIGN: Melanie Turner and Jill Tompkins, Melanie Turner Interiors
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Jennifer Horn, Horn and Co.
Interior Metal Railings: Tony Foreman, American Woodcraft
Kitchen Cabinetry: David Brandon, East West Cabinet Co.
© Annapolis Home Magazine
Vol. 16, No. 2 2025