The site was selected for its unique character, year around recreation and proximity to Seattle. The topography is extremely steep. Sloping down continuously from the road to the water, the site drops 54 feet over 126 feet in distance. The average winter snowfall is ten feet.

Most of the adjacent shoreline is crowded with tall fir and cedar trees, with the exception of a few developed lots that have cleared virtually all trees. This project uses trees as a spatial asset, not a view obstruction. Instead of clear cutting trees, the house positions occupyable spaces high in the tree branches, allowing a line of trees to be a thin, selectively pruned veil between the house and lake.

Spaces

The house is configured as three parts: a box on top, a narrow two-story slab at the bottom, and a lightweight cantilevered shelf between the two. Entry and circulation are routed around, over, beneath and through the parts.

The top box (or garage box) is a two-car garage with elevator, mudroom and storage. A concrete deck warps to meet the sloping driveway. An exterior stair leads down to the entry, which is the space between the box and shelf.

The two story base (or sleeping bar) was planned to maximize sleeping spaces (there are 12). The bar is thin, stretching the spaces to maximize lake exposure and minimize the excavation for the foundation heel cut. It is 9 feet wide at the east end, tapering to 20′ in depth in the middle, and then narrowing to 13 feet wide at the west. The bedroom bar contains four bedrooms (two connected by a climbing wall), a kids bunk cabin, two bathrooms, two built-in day beds and a built-in hall bunk.

The third floor (or living shelf) is rotated and extended off the sleeping bar to position and orient the living area for views. This move also creates an exterior roof deck above a portion of the sleeping bar. The “shelf” is entirely open, with a galley kitchen defining a living space on one side, and dining on the other. The dining table anchors this floor with meals, games and projects. The living space furniture is built-in, allowing for maximum capacity and additional sleeping opportunities (fold-out sofa bed and corner sofa). The living shelf is virtually all glass facing the lake.

The unexpected

The design team was challenged for solutions and inventions that went far beyond conventional architecture, design and construction practice. The solutions needed to resolve multiple conditions and needs, offer the unexpected, and appear simple- even “low-tech”. In this project, “smart” meant solving a problem, then going for much more. The solutions were to become more than a restatement of the problem.

A disappearing “bunk box” was designed in the upper bedroom. Two flush wood doors (one tall, one short) open to reveal a built-in bunk cabin. In addition to the steel access ladder, each bunk has its own hidden door accessing separate landings of the stair. The kids can go to their individual bunks directly from the stair, and visit each other via stair or ladder. On the stair side of the wall, the two bunk doors are disguised as a wooden panel with chalk trays.

The stair treads are supported by a 22’ tall chalkboard. This makes the stair itself is an ongoing art project as well as communication surface (“we’re at the lake”…”Anna loves Harry”…..).

A climbing wall connects two stacked bedrooms.

A full height rolling door with a magnetic lock conceals a small office adjacent to the master bedroom.

A long exterior metal catwalk cantilevers from the already cantilevered living space.

A single, long cabinet in the kitchen incorporates a bookcase, a telephone cabinet, above counter storage, a pull out sofa, and map storage behind the sofa.

The house works to take advantage of its environment in all seasons, from summer windsurfing to winter cross-country sledding. While outdoor activities are of primary importance, the house itself offers a fun, interesting and comfortable space to live in.

911 Western Avenue
Suite 318
Seattle, Washington 98104 USA
Tel: 206 287 0136
ecobb@cobbarch.com