Regional Modern Architecture: Seattle Splendor
Seattle's modern homes celebrate place with warming foundations and spectacular views
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City.... More »
My Regional Modern series now moves to the West Coast, the home of Houzz and therefore a good deal of the houses on the website. We start in the Northwest, in Seattle, a city that is "blessed with a setting unsurpassed in natural splendor by any other city in the country," according to Sally Woodridge and Roger Montgomery in their Guide to Architecture in Washington Sate.
This assertion, and the high-quality architecture that embraces these natural conditions, make me want to visit, but a virtual visit will have to do for now. Which is okay, since one contention of this series is that browsing modern and contemporary houses in a particular region allows for an adequate reading of the place. A visit is always necessary for gaining understanding via experience, but architectural expression is a valuable way of knowing what makes a place unique.
More regional modern architecture:
Chicago | Boston | Austin | NYC | NY Metro | Oregon | No. Calif. | San Francisco | L.A. | Coastal L.A.
This assertion, and the high-quality architecture that embraces these natural conditions, make me want to visit, but a virtual visit will have to do for now. Which is okay, since one contention of this series is that browsing modern and contemporary houses in a particular region allows for an adequate reading of the place. A visit is always necessary for gaining understanding via experience, but architectural expression is a valuable way of knowing what makes a place unique.
More regional modern architecture:
Chicago | Boston | Austin | NYC | NY Metro | Oregon | No. Calif. | San Francisco | L.A. | Coastal L.A.
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| This photo does a good job of summarizing the natural beauty of the Seattle area that Woodridge and Montgomery mention, as well as the ways architects respond to it. They frame the landscape through large openings and provide outdoor space for taking in the dramatic views. |
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| While a different house then the previous photo, we can see the large glass wall, terrace, and a plan that projects towards a focused view. The solid side walls help to emphasize this view; they also minimize the number of window openings to make the house more insulated from the cold. Note the way the house floats above the landscape ... |
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This is because, according to the architects, the house sits upon a "hilltop occupied by a decommissioned military bunker." They added a garage adjacent to the bunker but otherwise just lifted the building on the steel columns, turning the artifact into "the world’s coolest play fort."
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| Located on a ridge along the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, this off-the-grid vacation house is cut into the ridge but opens itself up via glass to the south. See a closer view, next. |
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| Here we see the gorgeous horizon this retreat opens up to. Enough said. |
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| From a mountain to a forest. This house is nestled within the trees, a context that eliminates one prevailing view. Nevertheless we still see way the windows are selectively placed relative to the climate and surroundings. |
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| A double-height space receives the most glazing, while other, more private spaces have smaller windows. The fireplace is a strong element that illustrates the warmth of the large space. |
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| This remodel by the same architects as the house in the trees adds an upper floor that points towards the water. Large windows and a terrace below that take advantage of the view. |
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| One of the more popular modern houses on Houzz is this residence overlooking Flowing Lake. Glass exterior walls reach toward the lake, as does a terrace off to the side. The roof terrace is an especially nice touch that lifts people that much higher into the trees. |
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| This house overlooking Puget Sound is simple wood-clad box, but the primary view can be seen at left and through the front doorway. Looking at the other side ... |
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| The house that is primarily solid on the front is just about all glass overlooking the water. The way the roof wraps down the wall to become a small porch adjacent to the glass wall is a nice touch. |
| This and the next house illustrate one common gesture I discovered in Seattle-area houses: solid bases. Here we see CMU walls anchoring the house to the site below wood walls. The latter is where the windows are located, so the base is left solid. |
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| This house is composed of ground-floor volumes in wood and concrete that support a top-floor volume set at a perpendicular. In this case, similar to the previous photo, the solid areas create privacy but also balance the large areas of glass, so the house can stay warm inside. |
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In our slow move into the city we can see some of the same themes: solid(ish) ground floor with more glazing upstairs. The large windows capture distant views.
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| Again we see a fairly solid ground floor and an open top floor; the latter is clearly pointing towards the splendid view over the neighbor's house. More regional modern architecture: Chicago | Boston | Austin | NYC | NY Metro | Oregon | No. Calif. | San Francisco | L.A. | Coastal L.A. Next: More Inspiring Architecture Modern vs. Contemporary: What's the Difference? |
Ideabook updated on Nov. 7, 2011.
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• Indoor/outdoor living - despite the area's reputation for rain, the climate is actually pretty mild - not too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter. This allows for year round indoor/outdoor living - promoting designs that integrate interior and exterior space.
• Topography + water = views
• A community of architects and an active chapter of the AIA which hosts an extremely competitive awards program every year. It pushes us to stay at the top of our game.
• A community of contractors and crafts people who are capable of actually building whatever we draw. I think this started with the woodworking skills you'd expect in a timber harvesting area, but it has expanded to include, steel, glass, etc.
• A community of clients who are interested in design as well as sensitivity to "place".
I'm sure there are other factors, but these are the ones that come to mind.