Mohler + Ghillino Architects

Jan 2013

The View Ridge Residence is designed to take advantage of spectacular views of Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains while providing an expansive covered deck space to lengthen the outdoor living season. A split level arrangement of spaces raises the main floor a half floor above the site to take advantage of the views. Generous windows and tall ceilings bring in lots of light beneath the broad and sheltering roof.

Seattle, WA

Mar 2009

The Wall House was the Seattle Homes Magazine 2009 'Home of the Year'. It features full-width slide/fold doors and a continuous cedar-clad wall to provide a seamless connection between interior and exterior spaces. Livability on a tight urban lot is enhanced through creative, efficient and flexible use of space. The shed-roofed upper floor of the main house rests above an open ground floor living space while a detached accessory structure serves as garage, office, play space or guest quarters. The length of the site was designed as an alternating series of indoor and outdoor rooms with a continuous cedar clad wall visually connecting the spaces. The relationship between inside and out is blurred through the use of slide/fold doors that open the full width of the living space to the exterior at both ends. With the doors open, the living room space becomes a porch to the street allowing the owners to interact with the neighbors and passerby while the dining room extends to a private terrace and garden. Sheer curtains and opaque shades provide the desired level of privacy. Tall ceilings and north facing clerestories provide the upper floor rooms a sense of a space that belies their modest dimensions. Form, scale, material and color allow this decidedly modern residence to be at home among its traditional Queen Anne neighbors.

Seattle, WA

Mar 2009

The Flip/Flop House(s) have been featured in the Seattle Times' Pacific Northwest Magazine and on the cover of Builder Magazine and won both AIA Seattle Future Shack and AIA Seattle Project of the Month Awards. It is a single family dwelling with an Accessory Dwelling (mother-in-law) Unit. The project is designed to provide each unit with its own private entrance and garden and for each to be private from the other, allowing two households to enjoy the benefit of single family living on a single, in-city lot.

Seattle, WA

Mar 2009

The original 1950's house failed to take advantage of its remarkable site which offers spectacular views to the north and to the west across Puget sound. In response, existing hip roofs were removed and two low slope shed roofs were added. the longer of the two roofs allowed for a 600 SF second story master suite addition at one end of the house while providing much needed volume to the main floor living spaces at the other. the scissor-like roof configuration also preserves the uphill neighbor's existing water views. A relocated stair connects the new master suite to the main living level and the existing daylight lower below. A deck for entertaining, with direct kitchen access, is suspended a full level above the driveway and sheltered beneath the high shed roof on the view side of the house. At the opposite corner, the living room now extends to a garden terrace through corner slide fold doors. On the terrace, a water feature captures rainwater that falls dramatically from the main roof, transforming storm water management into an artful display of climate and season. The View House, which was featured on the cover of Seattle Homes Magazine in 2010, is an extensive remodel of a 1950's rambler. Here, slide-fold doors open to extend the corner of the living room out to the terrace with a view of Puget Sound beyond. photo: Alex Hayden

Seattle, WA

Mar 2008

This 3,00 SF house and attatched garage is designed to minimize its visual impact while taking advantage of topography, views and prevailing winds. The house takes the form of a simple shed roof structure set into it's hillside site. A series of on-grade terraces step up the slope to define the various spaces beneath the continuous form of the roof. The garage and utility spaces occupy the lowest level of the house with a guest suite and exercise room on the floor above. An open living/dining/kitchen space and master bedroom occupy the opposite end of the house. One enters the house between these two sets of spaces at a 'kink' in the plan beneath the folded plane of the roof. This kink allows the house to be simultaneously oriented to an existing driveway and optimum views. Generous glazing allows the interior to extend out to a series of outdoor terraces while operable windows and doors allow for cross ventilation.

Roslyn, WA

Mar 2008

Remodel of the kitchen and entry of a mid-century modern house originally designed by well know architect Paul Hayden Kirk in the 1960's. Goal was to update the kitchen and open the kitchen to the dining and living areas. A partially open kitchen cabinet provides a screen between the kitchen and dining rooms. The seamless relationship between the kitchen window sill and counter-top was retained with the use of a flip up stainless steel panel for the require electrical outlets.

Seattle, WA

Mar 2007

This 3300 SF residence is built on an irregularly shaped, sloped site overlooking Lake Washington with diagonal views of Mt. Baker to the northeast and MT. Rainier to the southeast. In addition to the typical program for a three bedroom house, the owner requested a semi-detached guest and studio as well as a tall, covered 'veranda' that would allow for protected outdoor living without blocking natural light from entering the house. The resulting design is 'anchored' to it's sloping site at the northwest corner by way of a deck at the garage roof to provide additional privacy. The three story volume of the main house occupies the southeast corner of the site and house an open living/ dining/kitchen space on the main floor, the master bedroom suite and study above, and children's bedrooms and play area below. The full height of the southeast corner is carved away and replaced with a deck at the main level. This deck is suspended from a three-story steel bracket that also supports the roof above. The main and upper floors open out to this covered space by way of four sets of sliding glass doors to provide a sense of living outside and in the trees.

Seattle, WA

Feb 2007

Situated atop a rocky bluff overllooking the Icicle Creek outside of Leavenworth Washington, this project for a vacation cabin addresses some unique design challenges. the site is remote and off-the-grid. The cabin generates its own solar energy, while an emergency back-up generator provides power to a county-required fire fighting system. Propane provides a source for heating and cooking. The cabin takes the form of two seperate buildings set beneath a single wing-shaped roof and nestled against a rock ledge. One building houses the daytime functions of kitchen/dining/living in a single space. The other building houses the night-time functions of bedroom, and bathroom. These separate buildings are joined by a common breezeway that is punctuated by two natural log posts from the site. A common deck wraps and connects both buildings. From the parking below, a footpath leads one between the building and the rock ledge to the breezeway where dramatic mountain views are revealed before entering either building.

Leavenworth, WA

Dec 2004

Barclay Court was the 2004 Seattle AIA/Seattle Times 'Home of the Year' . An existing dilapidated triplex was substantially remodeled into two ground floor studio apartments with a dramatic, two story loft-like owners unit above. The owner's living level is on the upper floor to take advantage of the long, bowed roof form and views to Mt. Rainier and the surrounding city skyline.

Seattle, WA