The house is located in Innis Arden, a residential area on the outskirts of the city of Seattle, which is characterized by uninterrupted views of the Olympic Mountains - a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula in the state of Washington, USA - and the Puget Sound - a saltwater estuary that connects to the Pacific Ocean. The Innis Arden neighborhood has a particular set of regulations that restricts the size and height of new projects or renovations within the neighborhood boundaries to ensure views of the Puget Sound and mountains are preserved for its residents. The regulation requires that each project go through a rigorous approval process before obtaining its construction license.
The property where the house is located is a sloping lot, and the 650m2 project is made up of two levels. The design concept answers to three main guidelines: prioritizing Puget Sound and mountain views for our clients; ensuring that the design meets the requirements of the internal regulations while preserving - for the neighbors - the existing visual corridors, and building an energy-efficient house.
From the main street, the house is placed on the site in a discreet manner, with a low-slope gabled roof, and in a certain way 'submerged' in the terrain, complying with the maximum height prescribed by the internal regulations of the neighborhood. A bridge gives access to the main entrance of the house across a sunken patio. In the Great Room, large windows with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors are used, which allows the entry of abundant natural light. The covered terrace of the main room cantilevers over the garden to frame the view of the sea and the afternoon sun, which hides behind the mountains.
Taking advantage of the topography of the lot, a lower level floor is created where the children's rooms are located. A family room, and other spaces such as the office, the gym, a study and the mechanical and laundry rooms are also in this level. The ground level - anchored against the hill through a retaining wall, creates the sunken patio that allows in natural light.
As part of the energy-efficiency strategy, the project uses ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) - a thermal insulation system with stacked expanded polystyrene blocks and an internal steel structure, which is then filled with concrete. Solar panels are also placed on the roof of the residence.
The house also has two highly efficient systems for Air Conditioning and Heating (HVAC). The air distribution system consists of two pumps, 5 tons each (Heat Pumps-HSPF rating 11) that work together with interior Fan Coils, which subsequently distribute the air to each space through internal ducts. The lower floor has a radiant heating system that distributes hot water on the concrete plate of the floor, this increases its temperature thanks to the use of a highly efficient boiler system. In addition to the efficiency of the equipment and the house's insulation system, the ventilation system is complemented by three heat recovery systems (HRV) that substantially reduce the energy consumption of the air conditioning systems.
Structural coordination was essential for this project, in order to build the basement, an excavation of 2,582 cubic yards was necessary. A larger steel structure was also used for the upper level of the house, allowing large spaces without the interruption of walls or intermediate columns. . The structural model was made by one of the project's collaborators, Riverstone is an engineering company based in Boise, Idaho, experts in structural design from ArchiCAD, who, remotely, worked directly on the model, essentially functioning as an extension of the base team of Metrica.
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