Floating above a meadow, Whidbey Uparati minimizes visual and physical impact on the natural landscape by blending into the site rather than asserting itself upon it. Upon approach, the meadow vegetation surrounds a winding path up a steady slope to the house. The house is a family retreat for meditation, bonding, and uparati – “stillness” in sansk...
Project name
Whidbey Uparati
Architecture firm
Wittman Estes
Location
Whidbey Island, Washington, USA
Principal architect
Matt Wittman, Jody Estes
Design team
Matt Wittman, Jody Estes, Nikki Sugihara
Interior design
Wittman Estes
Structural engineer
J Welch Engineer
Construction
JADE Craftsman Builders LLC
Typology
Residential › House
The Alden Mason House, crafted for the renowned Seattle artist Alden Mason in 1958 by architect Charles A. Marsh Jr. and builder Tom Paulsen, stands as a true Northwest Mid-Century Modern retreat, nestled in the woods like a treehouse.
Project name
Alden Mason House
Architecture firm
Ueda Design Studio
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Principal architect
Nahoko Ueda
Collaborators
Kitchen Cabinetry: Space Theory; Dining table: Chadhaus; Wall sculpture: Alden Mason; Painting (in living room): Simeon Nikolov; Art print (red, @ stair well): Robert Rauschenberg; Painting (in dining area): Do Ho Suh
Interior design
Nahoko Ueda
Construction
Mercer Builders
Material
Concrete, Wood, Glass, Steel
Typology
Residential › House
Defined by flexibility, Puzzle Prefab took on the challenge to build dwellings that minimize environmental impact, while fostering health and connection to nature for the inhabitants. A quarter of the size of the typical 2,000-square-foot American home, the prototype includes 600 square feet of living space attached to 557 square feet.
Project name
Whidbey Puzzle Prefab
Architecture firm
Wittman Estes
Location
Whidbey Island, Washington, USA
Photography
Andrew Pogue, Dan Sutherland (construction) Wittman
Design team
Matt Wittman AIA, LEED AP. Jody Estes, Don Bunnell, Naomi Javanifard, Tristan Walker, Jen Sutherland
Collaborators
Net Zero Energy Consultant: Erin Moore, FLOAT; Mechanical Engineer: Solarc Energy Group
Interior design
Wittman Estes
Structural engineer
Josh Welch Engineering
Construction
Sparrow Woodworks
Typology
Residential › House
The goal of this project was not to increase square footage or add amenities as is often the case in a remodel. Instead, the desire was to create a thoughtfully desired home with just enough space for the needs of the client. No more no less. An in-kind trade so to speak for the 1950s brick house that sat on the site.
Project name
In-Kind House
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Design team
Jon Gentry AIA. Aimée O’Carroll ARB. Ashley Skidmore
Structural engineer
J Welch Engineering
Construction
Treebird Construction
Typology
Residential › House
A warm and natural aesthetic welcomes guests to the signature restaurant space inside the new Seattle Convention Center, Ethan Stowell’s Bombo Kitchen and Bar. The new restaurant, situated along the convention center’s primary corridor, the Mixing Zone, is defined by both culinary richness and architectural craft.
Project name
Bombo Italian Kitchen & Bar at Seattle Convention Center
Architecture firm
Graham Baba Architects
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Principal architect
Jim Graham
Design team
Jim Graham, design principal. Elizabeth Kee, project manager. Francesco Borghesi, project designer
Interior design
Graham Baba Architects
Collaborators
ARUP Acoustical
Structural engineer
Roich Structural
Construction
Dovetail Construction
Lighting
Sparklab Lighting Design (lighting), Resolute Lighting (custom lighting fabricator)
Typology
Hospitality › Restaurant
The WORK_shed began as an e-mail from a former clients with the subject, “Tiny Project?” With a toddler in hand, a baby on the way, and a compact 1919 vintage bungalow running tight on space, our work-from-home clients needed a serious upgrade to their existing office setup.
Architecture firm
Linework Architecture
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Design team
Tony Salas, Ben Humphrey
Material
Polycarbonate panels for clerestory walls. Wester red cedar shingles for exterior wall cladding. Birch plywood interior paneling and floors.
Typology
Residential Building › Shed
As construction begins on a pristine site, it can be painful to watch the earthwork. Carpets of native grasses and flowers are ripped up and certain trees inevitably must be removed to make way for a new house. In the case of Wildflower House, in Washington’s Methow Valley, the site's unspoiled meadows and forest demanded a careful approach.
Architecture firm
PBW Architects
Location
Winthrop, Washington, United States
Photography
Andrew Pogue Photography
Principal architect
Margo Peterson-Aspholm
Collaborators
PBW Architects designed; Carlton Landscaping installed, Site restoration: Methow Natives, “Firewise” forestry work: Brothers Fire
Structural engineer
Lori Brown, Evergreen Engineering
Landscape
Carlton Landscaping installed
Construction
• Super insulated building envelope. • Heat pump mini-split for cooling and filtering air. • Firewise site design. • Native plantings that require no irrigation long-term and help restore the site’s original ecosystem
Material
Metal roof. Siding: Untreated hot rolled steel and stained rough-sawn fir shiplap. Floors: concrete slab on grade with in-floor heat. Countertops: Pental “leathered” black granite. Backsplash: Heath Classic Field Tile Color: kpfa
Typology
Residential › House
This residence was shaped by the site – an open meadow surrounded by mature evergreen trees. The building is tucked up to the northern edge of the meadow allowing maximum southern light to the pavilion style main living space. A new drive is woven through the mature trees along the western edge.
Architecture firm
Prentiss + Balance + Wickline Architects
Location
Bainbridge Island, Washington, United States
Photography
Andrew Pogue Photography
Principal architect
Tom Lenchek, PBW Architects
Design team
Shawn Kemna, Project Architect, PBW Architects
Interior design
PBW Architects
Structural engineer
OG Engineering
Landscape
Allworth Design; Octavia Chambliss
Construction
Hobbs Home Building
Material
Glass, Metal Roof, Concrete Floor
Typology
Residential › House
