Located just blocks away from Capitol Hill’s picturesque Volunteer Park, this triplex blends new and old to fit into its historical context. Originally on the site was a dilapidated rental with a failing foundation. The property has been thoughtfully reimagined to optimize the LR-2 zoning while honoring the charm of its early 1900s neighboring homes. Positioned between two single-family houses, we minimized the building’s scale by employing a steeper front roof pitch, creating a harmonious blend with the surrounding structures even though the building is a full story taller. The building features a 3 bedroom 2.25 bath owner’s unit occupying the top two floors, a 2 bedroom 2 bath rental unit occupying the ground level, and a 1 bedroom 1 bath occupying the daylight basement. An elevator connects the owner’s 1 car garage to the upper floors. The design of each unit enjoys its own private outdoor space. Collaborating with Francine Day, we designed the landscape to meet Seattle’s Green Factor requirements, incorporating drought-tolerant plantings for sustainable urban living. On the interior, large windows and window bays, and carefully designed spaces make the most of the narrow site. Constructed to Built Green 4 and 5 star standards, the triplex not only features green materials, but efficient mechanical systems and superior insulation, along with a host of other green features.

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This project for a developer in Kenmore created a modern farmhouse with plenty of connection to outdoor space. We worked around the existing large trees onsite, both one at the front yard which became the focal point of the curved driveway access and several behind the house which provide a beautiful backdrop to the double height living space and immediately adjacent covered outdoor patio. An open plan concept for the great room at the back of the house flows into the backyard outdoor space and provides a spacious feeling. Above the attached garage, this project also includes an attached accessory dwelling unit with a separate access allowing it to be used flexibly, either rented out, or as an addition to the main house.

 

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This developer project in Seattle’s Crown Hill neighborhood was one of our first new projects permitted after the 2019 upzone / mandatory housing affordability adoption. We were able to work with the client to reimagine the development to work within her business plan.

The unit plans are offset, creating access to southern light for the North unit, and creating privacy at the backyards, patios, and decks off the primary bedrooms despite mirroring the plan. The offset also helps to differentiate each unit on the street and helps the new homes stand out.

Limited by the allowable floor area, we used double height spaces at the center of each unit to maximize the use of the allowed space and make both units feel more expansive than the 1,850 SF allowed. This created a useful homework or reading space on the bridge, enhanced the privacy of the main bedroom suites, and brought plenty of light into the open plan main levels.

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This development was created from two NR (formerly, single family zoned) lots in Seattle’s Crown Hill neighborhood. Consisting of 5 separately accessed units in three structures, the builder wanted to create both private and communal outdoor spaces for the units while maximizing the potential of the lot. We used a mixture of pitched roofs and flat roof decks to articulate each and provide indoor-outdoor connections to make the most of the space available. Between the structures, we were able to create shared amenity space overlooked by all the units, fostering a feeling of community and safety. Inside the units, we maximized the space by providing open plan great rooms. Even the smaller 1,000 SF accessory units have two bedrooms, and we worked to maximize their space with exempt space exterior decks and bike garages.

 

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Situated in Seattle’s Mt. Baker neighborhood, this project transformed a single-story house with a basement into a 5,000-square-foot, four-level residence while retaining its original footprint.

The basement was redesigned into a self-contained, 1,000-square-foot Attached Accessory Dwelling Unit (AADU). This unit includes two bedrooms and occupies the entire basement level, aside from a small mechanical and storage areas allocated to the main house.

The first level serves as the central living space, featuring an open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area that takes full advantage of Lake Washington views. This floor also includes the main entry, a guest bedroom, a powder room, and a private office.

The second level is dedicated to private family living, comprising a spacious primary suite, two children’s bedrooms, a shared bathroom, a laundry room, and a flexible play area.

The top level, subtly integrated into the roofline, houses an expansive lounge with access to a large deck offering panoramic views of Lake Washington, making it ideal for relaxation or entertaining.

A double-height entryway connects the first and second levels visually, while an open riser staircase provides a seamless flow across the three main floors, emphasizing the vertical integration of the design.

The house was designed to incorporate a large south facing solar array, significantly greater than code required insulation, and an HRV system for constant filtered fresh air supply to the house.

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This 5,500 square foot (including attached garage) developer home was designed for a neighborhood which has seen a number of large houses built recently. We were tasked with delivering a tasteful design which would be a cut above some of the developer homes sprouting up nearby.

In order to best capture views of Lake Washington, we designed a “reverse plan” home with a large open kitchen, dining, and living spaces all together on the top floor, as well as a generous master suite. The middle level accommodated children’s and guest rooms, as well as a large family room and an office close to the entry. Most of the bottom level was taken up by the large garage, which accommodates 5 cars, as well as one extra-long bay to allow for storing a boat or trailer. Also on the lowest level is an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) with its own exterior access.

Much of west side of this home supports a large roof deck with wonderful 180° views of Lake Washington. There are also large covered exterior decks on the south sides of the middle and upper levels to allow interior-exterior living year-round.

This home includes an elevator to allow for the owners the opportunity to age in-place. Having the living and master suite spaces (along with the views!) all together on one floor reduces the need to use the stairs somewhat, but having an elevator in the house provides the most flexible solution going forward. It also makes carting groceries from your car to the kitchen much more convenient, regardless of the owners abilities.

 

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