The Beach Drive Waterfront Studio is a 1,100 square foot hideaway residence situated on the east side of Camano Island, Washington. The clients have a larger home located across the road from the studio where their extended family gathers during the summer and on holidays. They utilize this studio when they retire for the evening or wish to entertain close friends on the beach. The studio encapsulates one space as the kitchen, dining, living and sleeping area is separated by a free-standing double-sided stone fireplace. Only the master bathroom is a separate room. All of the spaces are oriented toward Port Susan Bay and the Cascade Mountains for spectacular views.
The design of the Beach Drive Waterfront Studio was inspired by a stay at a popular winery on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains. The winery had modern one-room cabins constructed of stone and concrete. When it came time to build their studio on the beach, the clients wanted to emulate that experience and use similar, low-maintenance materials.
The client’s larger home across the road accommodates their large family for gatherings and meal preparations. As a result, the studio needed only a small efficiency kitchen. The clients did, however, want a master bath that was private and had a soaking tub positioned in the room to take advantage of the water view.
The Beach Drive Waterfront Studio is located on the beach and it is also located in a flood plain. As a result, the main living level was raised four feet above the adjacent grade. The floor joists are one foot higher than the base flood level and the crawl space was vented with FEMA-approved flood ports.