Mercer Island, WA

This 3000 SF home is located on a sloped site with westerly views of Lake Washington. Its massing and rooflines are shaped to satisfy a complex set of client-mandated requirements, including privacy from the street, openness to the views, and shelter for the outdoor terraces. The building’s facades explore a cubist notion of composition in their quest to provide privacy and openness. The result is a transformation of wood skin – from patterned, interlocking shapes on the street-side, to open, defined apertures towards the view. The rooflines are simple and soaring, composed of fir beams and plywood supported on angled steel posts. The effect is similar to that of the Northwestern forest canopy – open at close range yet sheltered overhead.