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Houzz Tour: An Urban Home Nestled in a Thicket
Universal design, Japanese influences, gorgeous landscaping and much more come together in this newly built home in Seattle
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
When renowned landscape architect Richard Haag and his wife, political activist Cheryl Trivison, were looking to move, they had several priorities and inspirations. They wanted to create a home they could live in for the rest of their lives; they loved the calm spaces provided by Japanese houses; they wanted to enjoy the sweeping views of the University of Washington campus, Mount Baker and the Cascades; they wanted to use plants to screen and enhance views, as well as for sustenance; they wanted rooms for entertaining; and they wanted space to host their large family, who visited often.
The couple hired architect firm Studio Ectypos, whose team designed with a very deep understanding of the couple's vision and way of life. I spoke with architect Lucia Pirzio-Biroli about how she incorporated universal design, maximized the use of natural light, made the most of the views, provided flexible spaces and weaved together spaces for calm and spaces for action, as well as public and private zones, into one harmonious home.
Before Haag and Trivison built this home, the lot contained a dilapidated ranch house that had been full of rowdy renters who threw loud, wild parties — a source of contention in the neighborhood. The new house sits atop the old footprint with one small addition, and the parties held in it now are family holiday get-togethers complete with skits, as well as political fundraisers and University of Washington faculty gatherings.
Houzz at a Glance
Location: North Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle
Who lives here: Richard Haag and Cheryl Trivison
Size: 3,500 square feet, 6 bedrooms/multiuse rooms, 4 bathrooms
The couple hired architect firm Studio Ectypos, whose team designed with a very deep understanding of the couple's vision and way of life. I spoke with architect Lucia Pirzio-Biroli about how she incorporated universal design, maximized the use of natural light, made the most of the views, provided flexible spaces and weaved together spaces for calm and spaces for action, as well as public and private zones, into one harmonious home.
Before Haag and Trivison built this home, the lot contained a dilapidated ranch house that had been full of rowdy renters who threw loud, wild parties — a source of contention in the neighborhood. The new house sits atop the old footprint with one small addition, and the parties held in it now are family holiday get-togethers complete with skits, as well as political fundraisers and University of Washington faculty gatherings.
Houzz at a Glance
Location: North Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle
Who lives here: Richard Haag and Cheryl Trivison
Size: 3,500 square feet, 6 bedrooms/multiuse rooms, 4 bathrooms
by Studio Ectypos
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Although the house is only about 10 feet from the sidewalk, the topography and landscaping provide privacy. The architects paid very careful attention to using natural light to the max. "Westerly light is deadly in the summer in Seattle," says Pirzio-Biroli. She employed deep overhangs to shade the house where needed and corner windows to provide the interiors with natural light.
by Studio Ectypos
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A long ramp navigates the 4-foot grade change from the street level to the front door. It's just one of the many universal design elements. Others include a very complete first floor that the couple can live on if they ever need to, including a bedroom, full bathroom and a layout with all the spaces wide enough to accomodate a walker. In addition, there is a basement apartment that could serve as a home for a live-in caregiver or provide rental income.
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by Studio Ectypos
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| Haag, a pioneer of urban landscape design, carefully planned the yard to become an urban thicket, shading the house and providing privacy where needed, exploding with color in the fall and dropping leaves before winter to let in the light. He also planted many edible plants for humans and urban fauna alike. |
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| Inside the front entry foyer, a thick library wall divides the public areas from the private areas, also known as active and calm zones. The side facing the front door is an art wall; the side facing the bedrooms holds hundreds of books — which, Pirzio-Biroli points out creates depth. "When you have to look at the end of a skinny wall, it's bad architecture," she says. "A hallway that only serves as a corridor is wasted space," she adds. "We make spaces that do at least three things at once. For instance, this hallway screens the more private bedroom and bathroom from the entry foyer; it serves as a library and as a hallway." |
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Moving into the dining room and kitchen, an open bookshelf allows someone who is cooking to peek through and see who is coming in without there being a wide-open floor plan. "A kitchen is part of the social space, but let's face it, once you're done cooking, there's a big mess you want to be able to forget — we wanted it to be open but not in the middle of everything," Pirzio-Biroli says.
An upstairs balcony connects the two floors and encourages conversation between the two. "This family loves to put on theater performances during the holidays, and the balcony becomes part of their stage set," she says.
An upstairs balcony connects the two floors and encourages conversation between the two. "This family loves to put on theater performances during the holidays, and the balcony becomes part of their stage set," she says.
by Studio Ectypos
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A thicket of deciduous trees provides privacy and creates a gorgeous fall view out this first-floor window.
The windows are commercial-grade aluminum, and the sills are simple maple. The fir and beech doors throughout the house are also commercial grade. "We use commercial grade a lot; commercial grade means greater resistance and a simpler aesthetic; it is not as gimmicky as a lot of residential products," Pirzio-Biroli explains.
The windows are commercial-grade aluminum, and the sills are simple maple. The fir and beech doors throughout the house are also commercial grade. "We use commercial grade a lot; commercial grade means greater resistance and a simpler aesthetic; it is not as gimmicky as a lot of residential products," Pirzio-Biroli explains.
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Part of the first floor enjoys a two-story volume, which lets in more light and views and lends a very spacious feeling. This wall faces west and is shaded by a deep overhang, which forms a rain patio beyond the glass doors. "My clients had spent time in Japan and liked the idea of doors that opened into a protected outdoor room," Pirzio-Biroli says. "Here in Seattle, it's actually very pleasant outside when it's raining as long as you're covered."
Eggshell-hued walls are punctuated by dark aluminum-trimmed windows. The door and baseboard trim is painted the same color as the walls but in a semigloss, giving it a very subtle distinction.
Eggshell-hued walls are punctuated by dark aluminum-trimmed windows. The door and baseboard trim is painted the same color as the walls but in a semigloss, giving it a very subtle distinction.
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by Studio Ectypos
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| "My clients use the woodstove all the time," Pirzio-Biroli says. "This is a good example of where the more public areas meet a more private space, a comfortable reading area." The line between the two is demarcated by where the hardwood meets the tight, commercial-grade Berber carpet. Also, this calm, private space has a lower ceiling and thus a cozier feeling. The floors are oak. Tip: If you like variation in your flooring, don't splurge on a higher grade. "Oak comes in different grades. We like to install the lower grades, because they have more life in them, whereas the higher grades are very consistent," Pirzio-Biroli says. |
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by Studio Ectypos
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| "You can see that the master bedroom is a very simple room without a lot of pretense," says the architect. "It's composed to take in the dramatic views ... and corner windows like these grab the light in different ways." She adds, "The house is very flexible, and we designed the house for exactly how the clients wanted to live. There is a logic to the sequence of spaces, from active and public to calming and quiet." |
Ideabook published on Oct. 28, 2012.
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Thus, each plant was very carefully chosen to work in concert with Studio Ectypos' thoughtful architecture, and placed to provide a view of gorgeous foliage, to open views to the "urban views" of the UW Campus and the beautiful mountains, to block harsh sunlight and to let in the natural light where needed, to change up these views seasonally, such as when the leaves fall, to provide privacy where they wanted it and to create a thicket in the city. There's also that whole photosynthesis thing going on, as well as lots of edible plants for people and animals - some plants were chosen so that they could watch birds eat the berries out the windows, for instance.
Also, "30' from the house" means no trees for just about any residential urban lot in any city in the world.