We had the honor of visiting another classic mid-century custom home recently; this one designed by Gene Zema for the Lupton family on Mercer Island. Thanks once again to Docomomo for arranging this tour!

This is a particularly interesting  and, I think, relevant house. Built in 1961, it is a really good example of the “Northwest School”…that 50′s generation of Seattle area architects who embraced the newly emergent principals of Bauhaus modernism, but incorporated an influence of regional context into their designs. It is this uniquely local interpretation of mid-century modernism that I find so inspiring; it’s not found anywhere else! And it so embodies the essence of our region.

The designs of Gene Zema, Paul Kirk, Wendell Lovett, Roland Terry, Al Bumgardner and many others all embraced the tenants of contemporary space and form-making, but it’s their use of WOOD that set their work apart from their contemporaries elsewhere in the country. Responding to the local context of forest, views and rain, these architects developed a regional style known for its elegant  structural expression…wood being the medium. These buildings were smaller in scale (wood not being suitable for larger commercial projects), featured pitched roofs, large expanses of glass for views and openness, and reached out to incorporate the landscape, often very dramatically. 

There is a prominent Japanese quality to most of the work of this era…intentional in some cases, but also, I think, because of the same use of materials and same contextual features found in traditional vernacular Japanese architecture. 

Zema’s work in particular is very Japanese in nature. The Lupton House plan is based on a 3′ module; multiples of this module are manipulated to create dynamic spatial complexities, either open and large or intimate and containing. Screens are employed in varying degrees to build a range of spatial experience and richness of detail that is seldom seen in today’s architecture. Yet his work is modest, simple, and inexpensive. 

I personally think we have much to gain by revisiting the work of these Northwest School architects, and reconsidering some of those design qualities that celebrate the essence of this place we call home. 

See our next blog entry for a more detailed analysis of the Lupton Residence!

We had the delightful priviledge last weekend to visit a unique in-city Paul Kirk-designed home.  It was organized by the non-profit DOCOMOMO, who do great work in conservation and documentation of historic modern buildings. http://www.docomomo-wewa.org/index.php  

The tour was a home in North Capitol Hill: the Henderson Residence. The original home on the property was a 1916 Tudor-style carriage house that the Henderson’s lived in for 20 years, until they commissioned Kirk to build a second, new structure on the site. Kirk’s design was a “Northwest interpretation of the original Tudor Revival structure”; it has a gable roof, centrally organized massing, and a post and beam structure.  But there the resemblance ends.

The house is a modest (about 2300 sf) but lovely modernist design with a decidedly Japanese influence, making for a distinct Northwest style of modernism. This is what interested me the most, as I’m always pursuing a deeper understanding of what makes for a uniquely Northwest style in contemporary architecture!

The exterior of the house is very simply organized – almost agricultural in form – employing natural wood siding and shingles, which give it a definite northwest feel while defining the simple forms so elegantly. Windows are arranged and detailed in a pattern resembling Japanese shoji panels – hinting at the interior to be found inside.

Inside, the house is astoundingly rich in its visual complexity. The detailing is simple: expression of wood timber connections is basic. But Kirk laid out his structure in a panelized system that springs from Japanese folk architecture, and allows for a large, open  interior space to divide itself into varying sized rooms. He even hangs a long series of shoji screen from one of the dominant structural beams, enabling great flexibity in closing or opening spaces one from another. The massive central fireplace floats in the middle of the great space, but allows vistas through and around it, again reducing a large space into more comfortably-sized areas of use.

 This Japanese influence is, I think, what is so unique about Northwest Modernism. (You don’t see it anywhere else; probably because of our relative proximity to Japanese culture.)  Modernist architecture can be severe and unyielding to human needs, and doesn’t include natural materials in its palette. For this reason, I think many people steer away from modernist architecture; it’s labeled “cold” or “austere” for these reasons. The Henderson Residence, on the other hand, with its palette of heavy timbers, wood trim panel systems, and exposed structure opening up to create clerestory light wells, creates a dwelling that is rich and warm and light-filled and inviting, yet spacious and clearly organized, and very modern!  Northwest Modernism at its best!

Julie & Buzz thought this would be a good informal way to learn more about planning for your project. 

The Home Design 101 class notice just came in from our AIA CRAN group (Custom Residential Architects Network) The cost is $10 per person or $15 per couple.  AIA hopes to offer this every month. Hope to see you there!

HOME DESIGN 101: getting started…

  Where: SieMatic Seattle, 2030 1st Ave, Suite 110, Seattle, WA 98121

       (light snacks provided & free street parking after 6pm)
  When: Tuesday, July 19th, 6:30pm – 8pm
       (includes time afterward for questions)
  How: Register at http ://www.aiaseattle.org/node/5666
       (limited seats available)

Dreaming about a project and not sure where to start? Trying to figure out how to make the most of your budget? Curious about green design or how to plan for your family’s changing needs? Whether your project is a small remodel or new construction — or if you are just curious about the design process — AIA architects can help. Join us for an information-packed seminar on the basics of design and construction including budget advice, tips for hiring the right contractor, what to expect, and how you and your designer can work together to make the most of any project. This will be an interactive workshop so be sure to bring your “napkin sketch!”

This program is presented by the AIA Seattle Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN).

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE Kirkland Family Compound Virtual Video

We’re excited to see our latest new house emerging from the ground! Our client is an aficionado of Frank Lloyd Wright, and he wanted his new home to be modeled after Falling Water, which is a study in earth hugging horizontal planes, and natural materials anchoring the house into the ground.

A hard act to follow! Unfortunately our site in suburban Kirkland doesn’t quite match the pristine woodland or rushing stream that gurgles under Bear Run!  And the  owner’s budget doesn’t allow for the gorgeous stone and cantilevered concrete that Falling Water features; our version substitutes stucco, Hardiboard, and northwest indigenous materials like cedar siding and slate to achieve a similar approach, yet more appropriately influenced by current technologies and this particular site’s context.

This home is actually two-in-one! The first floor is home to the owner’s elder parents, and sits low into a dug-out plinth on the property so as to maximize daylight and not feel subterranean….at the same time allowing for 2 floors above within restrictive height limits! The upper two floors are home to the owners and their son, with the kitchen and living spaces on the top floor where the views are best. Common spaces both inside and out enable the two families to come together or enjoy independence as they wish.

You can see the building’s strong horizontal elements taking shape as the framing starts. Compare this to the virtual model (http://www.ctabuilds.com/kirklandcompound.html) , and check back again soon for further progress!

We are moving right along finishing this rambler. The exterior is now painted and the owners are soon to move in. With the unique forms and colors of the various additions, the home has become something for discussion in the neighborhood! Should additions (or new houses for that matter) be exactly what the original house was like (or what the neighborhood is like) in terms of its design or could it be different? Why must something new be the same as something old, especially if that old is not particularly exciting? As long as it works in terms of function, can’t we have a little fun with the building? Can’t it be a piece of art? Or perhaps a reflection of the values and interests of the owner?