Choose Your Own Robert Gurney-Designed House

• January 29, 2013

by Shilpi Paul

The Nelson. Design by Robert Gurney.

Modern architect Robert Gurney has a new project on the market, with a twist of the choose-your-own-adventure sort.

The unusual listing, located at 9600 Page Avenue in Bethesda (map), is currently an empty plot of land. Gurney is offering the eventual buyer the choice of three different home designs to be built on the land.

Developer Derek Walz, who is working with Robert Gurney on the project, told UrbanTurf that the two identified the plot last January and spent about six months embarking on a full site survey. Gurney then came up with three designs, considering sight lines and the orientation of the lot.

The Montgomery

Depending on their preferred style and budget, the buyer can choose between the following modern options: the Page for just over $1.728 million, the Montgomery for just over $1.925 million, or the Nelson for around $2.21 million.

While all are rectangular, open and made from similar materials — wood, stucco, cement board and concrete — there are differences in the square footage, number of bedrooms and layouts. The five-bedroom Page is essentially the same as the six-bedroom Nelson, minus a guest house and three-car garage. The five-bedroom Montgomery, on the other hand, lives primarily on one story. All will be green, with solar panels, low-e windows and extreme air sealing. A LEED certification firm helped consult on the designs.

Besides the three layouts and designs, certain elements within the home will be customizable, like kitchen appliances, tiles and other minor features.

The Page

Gurney-designed homes, like this Bethesda five-bedroom that was on the market for about $7 million, typically have much higher price tags. The pre-designed nature of this project means that Gurney and Walz can offer the home for much less. “This is for those who aren’t ready for the $5 million option, but want something in the modern realm that is more than just cookie cutter,” said Walz.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/choose_your_own_robert_gurney_designed_house/6577