For 34 years, Washingtonian and the Washington chapter of the American Institute of Architects have recognized outstanding local architects with the Washingtonian Residential Design Awards. This year’s jurors—architects Julie Eizenberg of Santa Monica, Russell Windham of Houston, and Robert Silver of Boston—pored over 94 entries to select the 2015 winners.

Shop House by EL Studio, Shaw
Reason to be wowed: The house used to be a largely empty 1895 stable.
Juror’s notes: “It was beautifully done. And that handrail—that simple, beautiful handrail.”
— Robert Silver

This house, tucked into the DC neighborhood’s Naylor Court, might be the perfect rebuttal to the stereotype of Washington as conservative and uncreative. Upstairs, architect Mark Lawrence turned the raw 120-year-old space into a contemporary home he shares with his wife and ten-month-old daughter. Lawrence helped with much of the construction, including the stairs. A professional steel fabricator, though, gets credit for the cool orange handrail. Downstairs, Lawrence created a studio where he, his partner Elizabeth Emerson, and their employees work.

With his architecture firm, he also hosts art exhibits, poetry readings, concerts, and other performances in the space.

This article originally appeared in The Washingtonian: http://www.washingtonian.com/2015/07/23/inside-the-8-winning-homes-of-the-2015-american-institute-of-architects-washingtonian-residential-design-awards