Glass stairs exposed
A young couple with a growing family searched for months to find a site to build their new home on. After many months and numerous near misses, they abandoned conventional channels and approached a homeowner with an oversized lot in the Phinney Ridge Neighborhood. A portion of that yard was a separate legal lot, left over from an earlier short plat, that became the site for their new 2510 SF home. The design necessarily began by addressing the challenges of a small lot, with significant topography and a large easement that maintained an existing driveway. The resulting footprint dictated that a satisfactory living level could only be accomplished on the third floor by means of a 16’ cantilever. This design challenge was to maintain a connection between the street and the living level through the entry while also maintaining the privacy of the sleeping rooms. This was accomplished by carrying exterior materials through the circulation spaces and providing visual clues to circulation at the entry by placing glass under the stairs. With limited yard, locating usable outdoor space proximate to living areas was also especially important. A series of interconnected decks flow from the living and kitchen spaces, leading up to the more expansive roof deck. The main volume of the home rises above the street and makes a gesture inward. The subtle shift of the volume turns to access the distant views, provides a buffer from the nearby intersection, and gives spatial definition to the open planned living spaces.
