The project is located on a stunning but restricted site overlooking Griffin Bay on San Juan Island. The most practical area to build was exactly where three beautiful old growth trees had already chosen to live. A prior architect, in a prior design, had proposed chopping them down and building right in the middle of the site. From our perspective, the trees were an essential element of the beauty of the site and respectfully had to be preserved. As a result, we squeezed the programmatic requirements, kept the clients on a square foot restriction and pressed tight against property setbacks. A further issue was that the site backed up against the county road; establishing visual and audio privacy was a significant concern. These became the primary initiators of the parti.

The clients desired an intimate, yet dynamic family residence that reflected the beauty of the site and the lifestyle of the San Juan Islands. Their ideal was a house that could be a central gathering space for large dinners and other entertainment, while also becoming an intimate, cozy home for the couple when alone.

Material Used :

1. Cedar bevel siding – wood siding – semitransparent stain

2. Plate steel – metal siding – natural oxidation and wax finish

3. Green roof system

4. Hope’s Steel Windows – steel windows – in „Corinthian Bronze“

5. Windowcraft – wood windows – fir

6. Northstar – wood doors – fir (custom)

7. Marenakos Rock Center – stone wall – Castle Stone in „Buff-Grey“

8. Oregon Tile + Marble – slate floor (great room, terrace) –Montauk Black Brazilian slate

9. Mountain Lumber – wood floor – wide-plank ancient Chinese elm

10. Bosch – dishwasher – SHV-46 w/ custom panel

11. Sub Zero – refrigerator – 650

12. Sub Zero – wine refrigerator – 427R

13. Viking – range/cooktop – VDSC367-6B

14. Custom cabinets – casework – cherry

15. Custom finish – fireplace surround – site-cast concrete panels

16. Hanging artwork „chandelier“ – custom commission from artist Nancy Mee and lit with recessed lights above

17. Stone artwork „hearth“ – basalt sculpture by artist John Hoge