Stuart Silk Architects
Post By:Kitticoon Poopong
Located on 30 acres of wooded waterfront property on Lopez Island, WA, this 1,300-square-foot vacation home sits at the northern edge of a meadow on a high bluff overlooking Puget Sound. Native fir, cedar, and madrona trees encircle the meadow of indigenous grasses and plants, creating a natural privacy screen surrounding the home. The house respects this serene landscape with its minimal size, thoughtful design and conscientious use of materials.
Design concept and solution:
The approach to the house is down a simple stone path from the east. A sloping roof plane—as though emerging from the earth—rises unbroken between two small rectangular volumes. This tilted plane covers the contiguous living, dining, kitchen and service areas. The two adjoining rectangles each contain a modest sleeping room. At the western edge of the house, a 14-foot-tall glass wall terminates the main living space, promoting uninterrupted views of the water and mountains. Beyond the glass wall, the roof cantilevers over a terrace, evoking a sense of protection and blurring the distinction between interior and exterior. Countering the lightness of the roof structure, two thick masonry walls run the length of the home and ground it into the earth.
Materials and construction methods were chosen for simplicity, low maintenance, and energy conservation. Site disturbance was strictly localized, allowing for only minor construction grading that followed the natural contours of the site. Slab-on-grade construction was used for the interior flooring and adjacent terraces, simplifying construction and minimizing the use of raw materials. Corrugated metal siding and locally sourced ground face concrete block—used in the interior spaces as well as the exterior—were chosen for their durability and economy. The concrete block walls and floor also serve as a thermal mass, regulating the interior temperature by storing daytime heat and releasing it at night. Above the block walls, three sides of clerestory windows combine with floor to ceiling glazing throughout the home to bathe the interior spaces with daylight, reducing energy costs associated with artificial lighting. Birch veneer plywood panels the ceiling, accentuating the lightness of the roof plane as it soars above the spaces, yet are also nearly maintenance free.
the PeopleOwnerMaxine Shanahan and Arthur Nordhoff Architect Stuart Silk Architects 2400 N. 45th St., Suite 200 Seattle, WA 98103 P: 206-728-9500 F: 206-448-1337 Architect of record: Stuart Silk, AIA Associate architect: Lisa Sidlauskas Interior designer: Stuart Silk Architects Engineer(s): Quantum Consulting Engineers 1511 Third Avenue, Ste. 323 Seattle, WA. 98101 Contact: Dan Fenton General Contractor: Schuchart/Dow 419 Third Avenue West Seattle, WA 98119 Contact: Jim Bickford Photographer: Steve Horn Photography (360)468-2100 Lopez Island, WA CAD system, project management, or other software used: Autodesk Architectural Desktop | the ProductsStructural systemFloor: Concrete slab on grade Roof: Trus Joist I-joists Exterior cladding Masonry: Mutual Materials, Ground Face, Castle White Metal/glass curtain wall: Arcadia Aluminum Storefront Concrete: Custom Pre-cast masonry caps to match CMU color Wood: Baltic Birch Exterior Grade Veneer Plywood EIFS, ACM, or other: Corrugated Metal Siding Roofing Metal: Standing Seam Windows Aluminum: Arcadia Storefront, Clear Anodized Aluminum Doors Metal doors: Arcadia, Clear Anodized Aluminum Wood doors: Single panel, birch veneer Sliding doors: Arcadia, Clear Anodized Aluminum Hardware Locksets: Baldwin Estate, Lever #5137 Cabinet hardware: Whitechapel LTD. PO Box 11719 Jackson, Wyoming 83002 Japanese Cabinet Pull: 106MRB2N, satin nickel Interior finishes Cabinetwork and custom woodwork: Husky Finish Carpentry 4001 Aurora Ave North Seattle, WA. 98104 (206) 438-0068 Paints and stains: Benjamin Moore, White Heron OC-57 Eggshell Wallcoverings: Paneling: Baltic Birch Veneer Plywood Plastic laminate: Formica Mission White Countertop: Formica Mission White with Color Core Floor and wall: Shower walls: Daltile: Arctic White #0790, Matte Finish Lighting Downlights: Juno Exterior: Floods: BK Lighting Path: Teka Conveyance Accessibility provision: No stairs, no thresholds at showers, all entrances at grade Plumbing Sinks and Toilet: American Standard Bath Lav Sets: Kohler Bathroom Accessories: Ginger Kitchen Sink: Elkay Kitchen Faucet: Grohe |
