West Seattle Residence by Lawrence Architecture
Lawrence Architecture have designed a home in the West Seattle district of Seattle, Washington.
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Description from the architects:
A modern house on view property with 3,800 SF of living space and a 925 SF detached garage. Primary materials include concrete, steel, and glass. A concrete wall up to twenty-four feet high organizes the site and the house: the garage, entry and service spaces are on the street side of the wall, while providing privacy for the main living space which is a curtain wall-enclosed pavilion. The wall is also the organizing element for the circulation including the stairs with cantilevered steel treads. Supported on steel frames and triangular steel trusses, the roof swoops over the concrete wall capping the pavilion. Eight by sixteen foot sections of the curtain wall pivot for ventilation. The stair has demountable guardrails which are normally in place but were removed for the photographs.
The master bedroom is in a loft space above the kitchen, while a family room, media room, children’s bedrooms and bathrooms occupy the daylight basement level. There is additional living space above the garage accessible via stair or future elevator.
Design Team: Thomas Lawrence, Blake Takamura, Billy Stauffer
Visit the Lawrence Architecture website – here.
Photography by Benjamin Benschneider
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Oliver Haas on 15 Dec 2010 at 12:48 pm #
Very nice! Now some great art for some of the walls!!!
Maira Evans on 15 Dec 2010 at 12:59 pm #
I am usually not very keen on all-industrial, warehouse-like designs and I don’t want to appear hasty in my comments but I believe that, although the above house may have state-of-the-art technology as far as opening and closing windows is concerned, there are important elements missing from it. Yes the views are dramatic and stunning, yes you need large windows to enjoy that, BUT this house feels naked, cold and too busy with ironwork on the ceiling. The choice of materials vast and the stairs (top part) dangerous. The back of the house is like a warehouse and the bedroom floor (ground) could be mistaken for service rooms etc. I know of a very similar design in Europe that is used as a lab and observatory. I could picture this building serving the same purpose, but as a house?
Ken on 15 Dec 2010 at 4:25 pm #
The main living area is striking in it’s structural elements. The rest is almost bomb shelter like. Or,is that the main idea?
Tamara on 16 Dec 2010 at 1:06 am #
It is interesting, but not for a residence – it looks like a car showroom. A lot of space is wasted inside, especially a part around the fireplace. There’s too much concrete, both on the inside and outside, and it gives a cold and empty feel to the house – as Oliver mentioned – a lot of artwork is required to cover it up. There is a mix of different materials used, but they just somehow don’t work well together – perhaps if different colours were used, it would give a more dynamic feel.
Pluses – a lot of light and feeling of transparency, great view and nice stairs.
Stiles on 16 Dec 2010 at 1:07 am #
The space has a very nice tonal quality and this kind of architecture is very common in Seattle and it responds well to the area. However, the kitchen feels a little dated and fails to provide an interesting system that connects it with the elements of the rest of the architecture. The pivoting walls and triangular trusses really provide a foundation of what to expect in the rest of the spaces and I am disappointed with the resolution of the kitchen. Also, the choice of cantilevered stairs is strange given the monumental heaviness of the concrete walls that it juxtaposes. Seems like a trend-driven decision.
marshen on 16 Dec 2010 at 4:46 am #
Looking at the photos, my eye zig-zags up, down, left, right, and diagonally, fighting to get out to enjoy the spectacular view. All the geometric elements of the interior are distracting and seem to compete for attention between themselves and the wonderful views. This building in itself is interesting but would be better of doing something else somewhere else.
Max on 16 Dec 2010 at 5:52 am #
How can Stiles know the kitchen is dated when there was not sufficient photography of the kitchen to tell?
There does seem to be a commercial, loft feeling from the pictures but I like that. A person could do some rollerblading around there. One window on the right looked to open to no deck. Someone could fall right out. Maybe I’d have extended that deck to encompass both pivoting windows. It looks a bit tiny from the photos.
Are those treads stainless steel? Would peoples shoes clank loudly on those stairs? Wonder what they’d be like to use?
The curb appeal may seem foreboding to some. Too bad. That other side of the wall, WOW!
Great on 16 Dec 2010 at 8:06 am #
I think some aspects of the exterior are too heavy. Then there’s the unnecessary interior fixture — do you really need that much ironwork to support the roof? And why would you desecrate the views with those crisscrossing bars in the windows. There are other options to reinforce the structure in my opinion.
The privacy in the master bedroom is much to be desired. The kitchen feels cramped with that low ceiling. And not even a single chair in front of the fireplace in the patio?
But overall I think it’s ok.
aj smith on 16 Dec 2010 at 9:56 am #
Like the concept. Not a big fan of Concrete interior. Fells cold. The bathroom shower feels industrial and like the one at a fancy gym. The view is distracted by the window choice. The loft like master bedroom is ok for the single guy. Where is the privacy? Not sutible for family. It is hard to keep kids in the basement level or in their rooms. Any noise in the kitchen or living room will affect anyone trying to sleep in the master bedroom
Luca on 16 Dec 2010 at 10:05 am #
Some little color please?
tyler on 16 Dec 2010 at 2:44 pm #
I agree with stiles, from what i can see the kitchen is pretty boring. Seems like an after thought compared to the staircase (which I’ll assume took a large chunk of the budget).
Graham Roebeck on 16 Dec 2010 at 5:44 pm #
Very well done. The steel structure is striking and in proportion. It does a job and shows it off. The kitchen does seem incongruous, to my mind it feels like the occupants have inhabited a previously industrial space- like a warehouse- and added their warming touch to it. This is approach avoids the clinical interior design (I call it ‘mortuary chic’) often seen this type structural building where you wouldn’t be surprised to see a cadaver on a granite plinth or a S/S urinal/ shower combo against a precast conc bedroom wall.
Perhaps the owners had different tastes and this was the middle way of achieving the brief?
If anything the cantilevered stairs seem more out of place- neue Schule engineering vs the old school of the trussed roof and suspended floor.
The designers have set up the rules then flouted them. I like it!
More Gropius than Gehry and not everyone’s cup of tea, but why should it be?
Ricardo de A on 16 Dec 2010 at 6:48 pm #
Wow, daring! When you combine steel structure and a lot of glass, you gotta be sure the structure won’t move a bit… else the stress just crush all that glass, hence all that ‘distracting’ and ‘heavy’ metalic elements there( i think the wood work on the ceiling is a great solution to soften the warehouse feeling)…The rotating windows, woah!… I loved the stairs but i dont know why the guarding is facing the wall…
I hated the garage entry, is monotone and dull, there are some minor flaws in detailing but I like the end result.
(and yes add some art there! the light and height is ideal for some HUGE paintings there)
Jordan Macnab on 17 Dec 2010 at 4:28 pm #
That’s straight up bad ass !!! Nice work
jealous on 17 Dec 2010 at 8:13 pm #
The outdoor fire place is great and I like the nod to Mies but the curveved roof is a little passe. The stairs are interesting but ridiculas without a gaurd rail not to mention the revolvoing windows, doesn’t everyone in Seattle drink way too much vino? I would be dead in a week. The building code is building code for a reason. Nevertheless if you are gay and have a lot of friends that don’t drink or smoke it would be fantastic. The view is to die for!
Elli D. on 19 Dec 2010 at 3:47 pm #
I am very keen on industrial architecture – I myself live in a loft apartement, but this house seems to cold for me. The space is monstrously huge – inhabitants would get lost! and the usage of concrete reminds me of French brutalism from mid century. sorry this design would not do for me
Myrna Beard on 28 Dec 2010 at 10:40 pm #
I am usually not very keen on all-industrial, warehouse-like designs and I don’t want to appear hasty in my comments but I believe that, although the above house may have state-of-the-art technology as far as opening and closing windows is concerned, there are important elements missing from it. Yes the views are dramatic and stunning, yes you need large windows to enjoy that, BUT this house feels naked, cold and too busy with ironwork on the ceiling. The choice of materials vast and the stairs (top part) dangerous. The back of the house is like a warehouse and the bedroom floor (ground) could be mistaken for service rooms etc. I know of a very similar design in Europe that is used as a lab and observatory. I could picture this building serving the same purpose, but as a house?