Eggleston|Farkas Architects

Oct 2013

Site A linear north-facing lot along a seasonal creek. The neighboring house to the north is quite close, while those across the stream to the north are somewhat filtered by existing trees. Program A one story home for an empty-nest couple, incorporating indoor/outdoor living and the opportunity to combine cooking and entertaining. The owners ? one of whom is a landscape architect ? wanted to maximize the connection to the outdoors while maintaining visual privacy from the street and neighbors. They also wanted a casual entry sequence not dominated by the garage door. Solution The house has a T-shaped plan. A north/south vertical bar is open to terraces on either side and contains the main living spaces including a small library that cantilevers out over the creek. The "T" is completed by an east/west cross bar which incorporates the service and private areas, screening the living room and terraces from the adjacent house. The kitchen at the intersection connects the two forms as the center of the house. The existing driveway location, a mature cedar tree, and topography limited the garage location to the front of the house. A bifold aircraft hanger door, clad to match the house siding, allows the door to "disappear" when closed.

Eugene, OR

Oct 2013

Site Located near Agate Pass Bridge on the Inside Passage of Puget Sound, between Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island. Its waterfront site is well screened from neighbors to the east by landscaping, but required a substantial architectural solution for screening along the west. Program The owners, an interior designer and her husband, had occupied their home for thirty years. They had gutted the structure for a remodel only to be told by their contractor that structural deficiencies made it prudent to tear the entire house down and completely rebuild. Once Eggleston Farkas was retained, an agreement was negotiated with building officials whereby all new construction would be constrained to the original footprint in order to expedite the permitting process. Despite a relatively narrow site, the owners requested that primary living spaces, master suite, and two guest suites each have a view to the water. They desired a pavilion-type structure with a strong connection between interior spaces and the natural setting. Solution The design is a simple shell, a cedar-clad box without openings, that has been ?carved-out? to expose the sheltered interior to carefully framed views, while creating covered outdoor spaces at the entry and waterside porch. The southeast corner was ?eroded? so that the two guest suites were afforded water views despite being set back from the water. A screening element to the west protects the privacy of these spaces and doubles as a barbeque niche. From inside, the overall effect is one of total seclusion.

Suquamish, WA

Jan 2011

4-Star Rating BuiltGreen Site A major alteration of an existing house on a sloping site with a panoramic eastern view of Seward Park, Lake Washington, and Mount Baker. Contrasting the views to the east, the western portion of the site offers more introspective opportunities. Program The owners are avid gardeners and wanted the house to be integrated with the landscape while taking advantage of the sweeping view of Lake Washington. The master suite had to share a level (as well as the lake view) with the main living spaces, yet remain private and separate. A flexible use guest suite a space they could utilize daily or close off for long term guests was also desired. Solution The living room fireplace ? a freestanding ?monolith? ? serves as the anchor and pivot point for the house. It marks the entrance to the main living space, forms a baffle to the sitting room and master suite, and is the low point from which the butterfly roof opens up. At the high end of the roof, a generous deck extends the interior space to the outside. As a counterpoint to this airiness, the guest suite is more intimate and darkly hued opening out to a private courtyard and water feature. Large trees were transplanted from the owners? previous home, creating the sense of a mature garden.

Seattle, WA

Sep 2009

Site The site is on a wooded hillside at Decatur Northwest on Decatur Island, with conifers & madronas filtering views of Puget Sound. Community roads pass along the east and north sides of the site. Program A small vacation cabin where a family of four can relax, enjoy nature, cook, and play board games together. Sleeping rooms could be small and rustic, but space had to be provided for guests. Design covenants mandated that the visual impact of the cabin to its surroundings be minimized. Solution A long shed roof creates a sheltered space in the woods. The roof folds down to the east, offering privacy from the road while minimizing its visual presence. The solid service and sleeping zone acts as a buffer to the north and incorporates a sleeping loft and an outdoor storage room. The main living space contains an informal living room and an elongated kitchen whose counter extends as the eating & game table. The covered terrace extends the living space outdoors and serves as a transition to the rest of the forest.

Decatur Island, WA

Jan 2009

Set on a remote south-facing ridge along the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Wind-driven snowy winters and hot arid summers with occasional brush fires characterize the severe climate. No public utilities were available. The owners wanted a family vacation retreat offering seclusion and connection to the natural environment. The site is off the grid, so solar electrical generation and energy conservation were critical to the success of the project. The V-shaped house is cut into the ridge, allowing for an earth-sheltered passive solar design. The concrete roof and retaining walls allowed the house to be buried under four feet of earth - offering insulation in the winter and cave-like cooling in the summer. Concrete overhangs provide snow control and solar shading. Rolling metal shutters serve the dual purposes of forming a second skin which offers additional thermal control, as well as fire protection and security when the retreat is not in use.

Chelan, WA

Jan 2008

At roughly 24' wide x 116' deep x 14' high this ground-floor space in a former downtown garage featured a heavy timber ceiling, and a rustic concrete party-wall that had been plastered over. Natural light was available only from the narrow street frontage. The streetfront window location was desirable in attracting and welcoming patients to the newly established practice. Because this new dental practice is located in a growing, artistic, and urban setting, the client wanted to create a relaxed atmosphere unlike a traditional dental office. The plan had to accommodate two operatories in the first phase, with up to five as the practice grows. In the interim, the additional space are to be used as art exhibition lounges. As part of the marketing strategy, the office design was to offer an aesthetic first impression to pedestrians, with gallery spaces to engage the community. The plan is arranged in three zones: public waiting & reception in front, treatment in the middle, and staff & utilities in the back. The use of partial height walls and translucent panels & door between the front and back office enhances the patient perception of a single cohesive space and allows some daylight to penetrate into the treatment space. A steel frame was installed above the operatories, reducing the apparent ceiling height and providing support for the required systems, as well as a TV for patient entertainment. Each operatory also includes a fresh flower placed in a custom wall-mounted bud vase. Merit Award - AIA Southwest Washington 2009 Design Awards. Project of the Month - AIA Seattle/Daily Journal of Commerce, August 2011.

Tacoma, WA

Jan 2007

Site A corner lot in a residential neighborhood with ocean, mountain, and Diamond Head views from an upper floor. The tropical climate dictated the need for solar shading and cross ventilation. An existing one-story house was to be relocated to the other side of the island in preparation for site development. Program A shared residence for two sisters, one single and one with a family. Each sister was to have a separate sleeping wing, while the entire household was to share the kitchen/dining/living great-room and deck. A small office for a home business and an additional storage area were also required. Solution The shared great-room is located above the garage and oriented to take advantage of the views. The entry gallery, stair, and home office form a gasket between the shared and private zones of the house. The stacked sleeping wings allowed for an efficient design, while the baths and closets buffer the bedrooms from the adjacent neighbor, as well as the hot afternoon sun. The design reflects the constraints and opportunities of the local climate in a number of other ways as well. The long shed roof (with solar hot water panels) efficiently carries water from sudden downpours to a pair of oversized downspouts. Bent aluminum plates offer sun and rain protection at windows and doors. Operable windows in the great-room and bedroom wings were designed to allow for natural cross ventilation from prevailing winds, and a stack effect helps cool the entry and home office.

Honolulu, HI

Jan 2006

Home of the Year, Seattle Homes & Lifestyles: The waterfront property for this project is long and narrow, situated on Burien's Seola Beach with a view across Puget Sound to Vashon Island. That portion of the site allowable for construction was quite small. A steep slope, which provides a pleasant buffering backdrop, becomes a threatening source for landslides, while the house had to be set back from the water (and at a minimum allowed elevation) for protection from storm-surge flooding. Access is provided by an existing drive which terminates partway up the hillside, at a point that was three stories above the owners' pre-existing home. The owners asked that the new replacement structure establish a simple, comfortable presence within a beach context. The new residence was conceived as a mediating portal between hillside and waterfront. A massive 10 foot high concrete catchment wall was introduced near the bottom of the problematic slope to protect against landslides. The top of this wall serves as a springpoint for a new steel and wood access bridge at the second-story main level. This elevated position serves to enhance views from integrated entry, living, dining, kitchen and deck spaces. The living area is a two-story volume with full-height window walls facing both the hill and water. Its transparency provides a dramatic view from the access road and yields an interior space which can at once allow one to experience the sheltering quality of the hillside and the expansiveness of the beach. For privacy and optimal views, a master suite was developed on the third level directly above kitchen and dining areas. Two multi-task rooms were set on the beach level as media, office, guest, and entertainment spaces. Cedar siding (with exposed fasteners) is used on exterior walls and will be allowed to weather to a silvery patina with time.

Seattle, WA

Jan 2006

Merit Award - AIA Seattle A single family residence facilitating indoor/outdoor living, offering direct connection to the garden while taking advantage of the dramatic view. The house was to accommodate both contemporary and Asian furnishings, as well as a handmade bubinga dining room table & chairs. The building height had to be minimized because covenants stipulated that new construction must minimize the impact upon existing views from surrounding neighbors. Similar requirements regarding trees necessitated that the building itself, not landscaping, offer privacy protection from neighbors to the north and south. Site fit, program, construction process, and neighborhood design review were all addressed by a shallow vaulted pavilion roof under which linear service forms subdivide and direct the living spaces towards the gardens and view. The steel and PSL structure minimized structure height and was prefabricated offsite for rapid onsite assembly. Once the roof was sheathed, the pavilion served as rain protection for subsequent conventional framing work below. The primary spaces open to both the entry garden to the east and the restored meadow and views to the west. These spaces are defined by the stucco, wood rainscreen, and Corten steel clad service forms, the northernmost of which (the master bath & closet) screens the living spaces and terraces from the adjacent neighbor.

Seattle, WA