This mid-century home held promise, despite having endured a series of clumsy additions, including a 1980s sunroom addition and years of disrepair and neglect. The home takes its name from a family of starlings that nested in the home’s wall cavities, which were left open from previously abandoned repairs. Originally designed in 1952 by noted Seatt...
Project name
The Starling’s Nest
Architecture firm
Rerucha Studio
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Photography
Benjamin Benschneider
Principal architect
Jill Rerucha
Interior design
Rerucha Studio
Design year
Originally designed in 1952
Construction
Caspers Built
Material
Large sliders: Fleetwood Windows and Doors. Windows: Sierra Pacific. Roof: Standing seam sheet metal. Exterior Siding: tight knot cedar with driftwood stain. Front door: custom steel with Rixon hinges. Roof deck: concrete pedestal pavers. Cabinets: custom rift cut walnut. Countertops: absolute black granite honed. Wood floor: original oak floor (refinished and replaced where needed).
Client
New Owner: Cole Morgan
Typology
Residential › House
The 400-square-foot studio is located behind the Aaron and Kelsi Leitz's residence in West Seattle and serves as a photography studio and office for Aaron, as well as an exercise space for Kelsi, a Pilates instructor.
Project name
Studio Leitz
Architecture firm
Heliotrope Architects
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Construction
Mētis Construction
Material
Clad in kiln-dried, western red cedar (tight-knot cedar boards and clear cedar slats), plaster walls, a concrete floor, plywood casework
Client
Aaron Leitz, Kelsi Leitz
Typology
Commercial › Photography Studio
Built in 1914, Smith Tower was the tallest structure west of the Mississippi upon its completion. No expense was spared in the construction of this ambitious 462-foot-tall building, with interiors finished in rich materials and ornate detailing. Today, this iconic figure in the Seattle skyline houses offices and commercial spaces topped by an obser...
Project name
The Penthouse at Smith Tower
Architecture firm
Graham Baba Architects
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Photography
Tim Van Asselt
Design team
Jim Graham, Principal in charge. Jeff King, Project Manager
Collaborators
Agent: Moira Holley Presents for Realogics Sotheby's International Realty
Interior design
Graham Baba Architects
Environmental & MEP engineering
Material
Concrete, Wood, Glass, Steel
Construction
Valor Builds Collaborative
Typology
Residential › Apartment
This 2,900-square-foot home in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood was designed for an active couple looking for a strong connection to the outdoors, access to daylight, and a clear open plan. Their goal was to have a modest house within walking distance of neighborhood amenities that creatively solves the puzzle of openness and privacy on an urban lot...
Project name
Magnolia Residence
Architecture firm
mwworks
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Structural engineer
PCS Structural Solutions
Construction
Frost Construction
Material
Concrete, Wood, Glass, Steel
Typology
Residential › House
Designed by Seattle-based architecture firm Wittman Estes, the project involved the complete remodeling of an apartment in an early 1960s-era condominium building (the apartment building was designed by John Graham, the architect for the Seattle Space Needle).
Project name
Lakeside West Apartment
Architecture firm
Wittman Estes
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Interior design
Wittman Estes
Environmental & MEP engineering
Construction
Sparrow Woodworks
Typology
Residential › Apartment
When a young couple approached Heliotrope Architects and asked them to design a home with an art studio inside, all parties sat around the table contributing ideas – some atypical.
Project name
Artist Residence
Architecture firm
Heliotrope Architects
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Photography
Benjamin Benschneider
Principal architect
Mike Mora
Collaborators
Energy Consultant : 360 Analytics; Geotechnical Engineer : Pan Geo Inc
Structural engineer
Swenson Say Faget
Construction
Dovetail General Contractors
Typology
Residential › House
The primary design directive for this home was to capture abundant lake and mountain views afforded by the site, while taking into consideration possible future development with potential to impede the view.
Project name
View Ridge Residence
Architecture firm
Heliotrope Architects
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Photography
Sean Airhart, Haris Kenjar
Structural engineer
Swenson Say Faget
Typology
Residential › House
The restaurant takes its name, Samara, from the winged fruit of maple trees that twirls like a helicopter. That attention to nature find its counterpart in the design of the restaurant. Inside, rich earth tones dominate, bringing to mind a tranquil wooded understory.
Project name
Samara Restaurant
Architecture firm
Mutuus Studio
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Photography
Kevin Scott, Mutuus Studio-Saul Becker
Design team
Kristen Becker, Saul Becker, Jim Friesz, Danielle Farrell
Interior design
Mutuus Studio
Construction
Plumb Level Square
Client
Eric Anderson (owner-chef)
