This custom home with an ADU (accessory dwelling unit) was designed and built by WC STUDIO. Located in Seattle’s Central District, a rapidly transforming neighborhood with an established arts community, the Central District House design swaps the parking area on the ground floor with an artist live-work space so that the additional monthly rental income from the ADU can offset the mortgage expense.
The Klotski is a three-story, mixed-use infill building situated in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. Close to downtown, the area is noted for its dynamic mix of commercial, manufacturing, and residential uses. Reflecting the eclectic vibrancy and gritty nature of the neighborhood, the 10,041-square-foot CMU and steel-framed building houses a beer hall, an office, a maker space, a studio, and a small caretaker’s apartment.
Fire Station 22 was conceived in response to two fundamental constraints: a very small and narrow site, and an operational imperative for a drive-through apparatus bay. The site is located on a heavily trafficked arterial street that leads to a freeway intersection, with frequent back-ups challenging access and egress to the station. The congested street precluded the potential for a conventional back-in apparatus bay design.
This downtown Seattle condominium captures the essence of the Pacific Northwest. An existing apartment was stripped to the studs and reworked to create a warm and masculine urban retreat for an Alaska-based bachelor. “The client is a single Northeasterner who has lived in Alaska for decades, “notes Tim Pfeiffer, designer and co-founder of Hoedemaker Pfeiffer. “He wanted a city landing pad for himself and for visits with daughters home from school. The view was the main event and the desire for an open inviting living space to entertain friends and family, with the flexibility to sleep three when the family is together. A blend of Northwest urban gentility and rustic Alaskan textures blended to create a warm, inviting, masculine home.”
“The transparent and accessible podium level of 9th & Thomas is articulated in an eclectic style that references the evolutionary process of a community like South Lake Union. The building has parts and pieces that move and change, open and close. It’s intentionally inviting walk-in traffic, and my hope is that the public lobby slows down the neighborhood and establishes a sense of place.” – Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA, Design Principal
Since 1997, Olson Kundig has worked with St. Mark’s Cathedral to expand, remodel and preserve their church located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Originally constructed in 1928, the cathedral remained only partially complete for decades as it underwent a series of gradual updates. The most recent improvements, particularly to the exterior, bring the cathedral to completion, lending a sense of visual unity and cohesion that embodies St. Mark’s mission of community service and accessibility.
This large wooded site is on a small bay on Lake Washington in the Washington Park neighborhood of Seattle. The parcel enjoys sweeping views of Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains was well suited for our client’s collection of specimen trees. The client’s dream was to find a waterfront property with perfect exposure that would allow them to build a garden that could accommodate these woodland treasures. Loving the calming effect of water—outings rowing along its shores, and viewing the nearby eagles, otters, and blue herons the couple was most fond of Japanese gardens because of their serenity and beauty. For over twenty years they had amassed an impressive collection of plants which they lovingly cared for and painstakingly pruned, consistent with the traditions of Japanese landscaping. For them, the garden was as important as the home.
A float home renovation situated along the north end of Lake Union in Seattle. The envelope of the existing home was retained to honor the restrictions of shoreline development. Conceptually, the interior palette is intended to harness and amplify the natural light. The exterior is given a material contrast of muted, dark tones to provide rest to the eyes when approaching by foot or boat.
Originally built for the 1962 World’s Fair, the Space Needle has become an international icon of the Pacific Northwest and a symbol of Seattle. Constructed in just over a year, the Space Needle pointed the way toward the future with a sense of optimism and possibility. In its 55th year, the Space Needle is again looking to the future with the Century Project, a significant redesign that will preserve the Space Needle’s legacy by creating a new visitor experience for the next 50 years.
“The use and significance of history doesn’t garner much attention in contemporary architectural dialogue, but in the case of the Space Needle, it was a critical and constant baseline for our decisions. The challenge for us was to identify and edit the elements that obscured or limited the original design intent, which provided unencumbered and expansive views of the constantly changing city below. In doing so, we’ve provided a new method for understanding the original structure in ways visitors have not yet seen.” – Alan Maskin, Design Principal
The owners saw potential in this 1914 craftsman home when they bought it in 2013. The Seattle family had the intention of restoring the home’s original details while also making modern modifications to the traditional layout on the main floor. Influenced by years of living in Japan, the clients wanted a clean and simple aesthetic to suit their minimal lifestyle. The central challenge for SHED Architecture & Design was to rework the floor plan to improve the primary flow of the space. The firm made modifications to the main floor to create a feeling of continuity from the entryway to the backyard while remaining sympathetic to the structure’s native form. The Seattlebased architecture firm manipulated and built upon existing geometry to subtly introduce a new kitchen, bath, laundry and outdoor space that compliment the home’s original bay windows, angled walls and oak floors.
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