RISD Connections
The Fifth Ward Wardroom was first converted into a mixed-
use residential/commercial building in the 1980s by RISD
professor of architecture Jim Barnes. By 2016, it had undergone
a few additional minor renovations under the supervision of
two subsequent RISD-affiliated owners. The kitchen was
located in the same place it is today, but it was a completely
enclosed space that was only accessible by sliding glass doors
on either side. The front room, now home to the living area
and dining areas, was used as the last owner’s printmaking
studio; the back of the house, where the master bedroom is
now located, was used for storage and entry was through the
kitchen.
“We thought about just moving in, but it’s more or less just
a two-room house. So, it really didn’t allow us the opportunity
to half-move in and renovate,” MacKean says. “You sort of
have to be all in.”
And so they were. McDonough, herself a RISD grad, and
MacKean connected with fellow-RISD grads Anastasia Laurenzi
and Mike Larsen of Oblique Studio. With the exception of a
single interior structural wall in the back of the building, the
entire interior was completely demoed in preparation for its
next incarnation.
FROM TOP: A thirteen-foot dining table by O and G Studio in Warren is ideal for large gatherings,
which the couple regularly hosts. The previously enclosed kitchen was opened to the living
space and reconfigured, creating an inviting, highly functional focal point perfectly suited to
their lifestyle. A painting by McDonough’s sister, Molly, conceals the TV when it’s not in use.
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