Courtyard House On A Steep Site

Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Tom Hille

COURTYARD HOUSE ON A STEEP SITE

Hutchison & Maul Architecture

LOCATION
Mercer Island, United States

CATEGORY
Houses

YEAR
2007

AREA
623 m2

PHOTOGRAPHS
Eduardo Calderon, Tom Hille, Alan Abramowitz

Text description provided by architect.

The site is very steep, long and narrow – 50’ wide by 400’ long with an average slope of 35%.

Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Eduardo Calderon
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Eduardo Calderon

Located on the west side of Mercer Island, there are panoramic views west towards Seattle and the Olympic Mountains beyond.

Zoning permitted construction on only 35’ of the 50’ property width, and limited the height of the building to 30’ relative to the slope of the site.

Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Eduardo Calderon
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Eduardo Calderon

Exterior terraces and courtyards are carved into the sloping hillside to facilitate pedestrian circulation throughout the site; to provide natural light throughout the primary levels of the house; and to provide privacy from the neighboring properties.

The house consists of two parts: a concrete plinth which contains utilitarian and less-used spaces; and a hovering wood volume above that contains the private functions of family bedrooms and bathrooms.

Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Eduardo Calderon
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Eduardo Calderon

The resulting space sandwiched between the wood structure and concrete plinth houses the primary living areas, bound by large expanses of glazing that afford views through the open level of the house to the Lake beyond.

To access the house, one navigates through the series of excavated exterior terraces and stairways, across water features and bridges, then down another stairway, finally arriving at a small exterior glass-enclosed courtyard in the center of the residence.

Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Eduardo Calderon
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Eduardo Calderon

This entry sequence informed the shape of the wood volume as well as the placement and configuration of the concrete retaining walls.

Horizontal wood siding assembled with members of alternating depth enhance the notions of texture, shadow and perspective; contrast with the smooth concrete site walls; and ultimately heighten the journey from driveway to center of house.

Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Alan Abramowitz


Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Alan Abramowitz
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Alan Abramowitz
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Hutchison & Maul Architecture
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Hutchison & Maul Architecture
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Tom Hille


Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Tom Hille
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Alan Abramowitz
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Eduardo Calderon
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Eduardo Calderon


Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Eduardo Calderon
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Eduardo Calderon
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Eduardo Calderon
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
© Eduardo Calderon


Courtyard House On A Steep Site
Site Plan
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
Floors Plans
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
Floors Plans


Courtyard House On A Steep Site
Elevation
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
Section
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
Detailed Section


Courtyard House On A Steep Site
Model
Courtyard House On A Steep Site
Model