The site is located on the edge of a shear 270 foot bluff overlooking Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains to the west. Both near (plan) and removed (section) from the shoreline, the site is simultaneously exposed and protected. A bald eagle nests on the tallest tree, on the extreme edge of the bluff.

The elements of the house are positioned on the site to form a jagged “L”. One leg is oriented to the western view, the other to the southern orchard and garden. The 95 degree angle is scribed into the site by two large, board-formed concrete walls, which also serve to shield the view and private gardens from the approach. A wood and glass house is built against, around and above these walls.

The house is configured as two perpendicular bars, each backed against a concrete wall. The “domestic bar” contains the master bedroom, bath, laundry, utility and kitchen, and faces south. The “guest bar” faces west, and contains the library, powder room, guest bedroom and bath. The complex space between the bars and overlapping roof planes creates the shared living, dining and studio.

With a minimal set of materials, the formal elements are positioned and detailed to expose, contrast and articulate differences. Elements are separated, not joined: a thin metal roof is held above a thick concrete wall with steel brackets: a glass entry wall separates the two concrete walls: floor slabs extend beyond the limits of conditioned space, yet fall short of the inside (interior) corner. Window openings in the rough concrete walls are flush-trimmed with smooth VG fir. In this loose assembly of elements, the space of the house and site overlap, creating variations in light, exposure, material and view.

The principal structural elements of the house are exposed. Board formed concrete walls, heated concrete slab floors, exposed timber framing, steel brackets, stringers and rails, and a concrete block fireplace were carefully assembled and protected for the duration of construction.

The concrete walls were cast with 3″ rigid insulation inside to form a thermal break, yet maintain a concrete surface on both the interior and exterior. The wall was engineered as two slender reinforced walls separated by insulation, connected by embedded bolts. The wall thickness is shaped at window openings by intentional mis-alignment of exterior and interior geometries. In all cases, the window frames match the exterior opening, but the flush and splayed interior trim details expose this offset condition.

Due to the extreme winds and extensive glass on the western side of the house, a steel moment frame was designed in the two-story volume. A typical welded steel frame was not possible because the island ferry prohibits welding equipment on-board. Due to the scale and geometry of the house, it was possible to design a frame with semi-rigid connections (bolted), which could be field assembled. A steel stair bolts into the moment frame, allowing for thin plate stringers.

Separating the living room and library, a freestanding Rumford fireplace is constructed of exposed ground face concrete block with raked joints. The chimney extends through the roof as exposed block as well.

Architects Homepage: E. Cobb Architects






















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