Classical single-family residence with central rotunda and cupola

Completed in Spring 2025 at University of Colorado Denver for my M Arch, this 1,538 SF residence explores how modest scale can still achieve architectural grandeur. Inspired by classical precedents, a central rotunda crowned by a cupola anchors the home and organizes living spaces symmetrically.

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The approach sequence establishes monumentality at a residential scale. A raised portico with Tuscan columns leads into a compact foyer, which then opens into the defining central rotunda. From this circular space, three primary axes extend: dining and kitchen to the left, living room to the right, and private bedrooms to the rear. The living room is proportioned to accommodate both formal seating and a grand piano. A perpendicular rear hallway separates a guest/child bedroom from the main suite, each with dedicated baths and access to an elevated deck overlooking a hedge garden.

Above the rotunda, an octagonal cupola introduces a second geometric order, while a square widow’s walk establishes a third formal layer. This stacked geometry reinforces hierarchy and proportion while allowing light to filter down into the center of the home. Exterior materials include brick walls with a watertable base, stone quoining, shutters, and classical trim. Developed primarily in AutoCAD with a Revit 3D model and Twinmotion renderings, the project explores symmetry, layered geometry, and light as strategies for elevating everyday domestic architecture.

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