This house and guest house/garage are perched over a craggy Washington coastline on a heavily wooded site, positioned to take advantage of dramatic views to the distant San Juan Islands.
Studio Name: The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP
Area: 1,400 SF
Year: 2008
Location: Bellingham, WA
Photography Credits: Benjamin Benschneider
The design concept marries a long, gently sloping roof containing the kitchen, entry and studio with a vertical tower housing the living room and master bedroom above. Sited among mature fir and madrona trees the two houses form an entry courtyard, creating a welcome arrival sequence.
The Douglas fir structural system is fully revealed in the interior spaces. Outside, the wood structure cantilevers well beyond the windows creating a large overhang to shade interiors from low afternoon sun. The exterior material palette is completed with standing seam metal roofs, painted cedar siding and natural colored cement board siding, for long-term maintenance.
The entire house celebrates its impressive natural setting, with open and vignetted views of varying scale. This is especially apparent in the kitchen, where windows rise directly out of the counter tops, framing dramatic views of the forest and seaside beyond.
