Simple.

With the tight construction budget and the client's desire for a contemporary home, the basic house and detailing was kept straightforward and uncomplicated. The client lived in a small house that was in need of substantial repair on a corner lot on the eastern bluff above Genesee Park in SE Seattle. He desired a larger, more contemporary space and wished to build up to achieve a view of Lake Washington. It was determined that a complete demolition of the existing home would be required to meet the client's needs.

The design of the new home combines the client's desire for a larger modern home while responding contextually to the neighborhood. The surrounding homes are an eclectic mix of 1940's brick ramblers, older craftsman's and a few newer houses. The home takes the form of a simple shotgun plan with subtle departures. The house is set on a concrete block plinth that relates in height, texture, and scale to the adjacent houses. The upper form steps back from the street to reduce the impact of the height of the structure from the street. The main home is sided in a deep red stucco to relate to the color of the surrounding brick and tile houses. The roof has large overhangs supported by exposed tapering glue-lam beams.

The home is ordered into three levels. The lower plan is set into the site and contains a garage and two bedrooms. The main level contains the cooking and living areas of the home and is orientated in an open loft-like floor plan with 12' ceilings throughout. A steel stairway leads up to the master suite. The upper level is set into the roof with cathedral ceilings hovering above a band of horizontal glazing. The bedroom opens out onto the view of the lake with a small balcony.

The home was sited to respond to a large cedar tree on the north edge of the site. The entry angles out away from the house to both invite visitors into the home while at the same time step back away from the tree. A group of large rhododendrons were relocated to the back property line to form a buffer to the uphill lot. A pop out with continuous side glazing on the southern edge of the house was created to provide southern light without exposing the interior of the home to the adjacent neighbor.