This 2400 square foot house explores the notion of edges and intersections. From the street, the building is understated and deceptively simple. A garden wall defines the edge between public and private. A wooden bridge leads over a reflecting pool, accessing the entry courtyard. The north wall of the courtyard is defined by a bottle green polycarbonate skin, casting a greenish glow onto the surrounding walls and pavers at night. As one moves into the building, a burst of complex intersections becomes apparent, enlivening the space and defining a spatial environment that is unexpected and varied. The polycarbonate wall presents itself as a clearstory in the entry gallery, filling the center of the building with a soft, ethereal light. This gallery acts as the circulation spine for the building and opens onto the great room wing to the south and bedroom wing to the north. The great room steps up as one moves through it, following the contour of the land. It includes a music room, a food-prep and eating space, and a sitting room. Most rooms open to the exterior, visually expanding the house beyond its modest footprint. Interior and exterior lines are blurred, and landscape features complement the architectural expression. The material palette, minimized to focus attention on the spatial experience, includes stucco siding, a polycarbonate glazing system, aluminum windows, doors & hardware, polished blackened concrete floors (main level), medium density fiberboard floors (upper level), blackened steel structural members, steel plate and perforated metal stair and railing panels, and birch cabinets.This house is intended as a respite, an antidote to Seattle’s gray winters and a dynamic frame in which a modern family can live in privacy and reflection.
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