Wall + Roof Studio

Wall + Roof Studio
© Lara Swimmer

WALL + ROOF STUDIO

Hutchison & Maul Architecture

LOCATION
West Seattle, Seattle, WA, USA

CATEGORY
Residential Architecture

AREA
9.3 m2

PROJECT YEAR
2006

PHOTOGRAPHS
Lara Swimmer

The Owner requested a small potting/writing studio, an outdoor deck, and a fence to separate the driveway from the garden.

Wall + Roof Studio
© Lara Swimmer
Wall + Roof Studio
© Lara Swimmer

The project is sited between an existing residence and a concave-shaped hillside to the northeast.

Construction drawings were limited to a floor plan and two building elevations. Details were sketched onsite with the builder using a carpenter pencil on plywood.

Wall + Roof Studio
© Lara Swimmer
Wall + Roof Studio
© Lara Swimmer

DESIGN
The careful placement of two architectural elements into the site creates three independent spaces.

A spiraling wall placed south of the sloping hillside creates an outdoor working yard, while screening car parking from the garden.

A folded plate roof placed above the outdoor deck creates an outdoor room for relaxation and cigar smoking.

Wall + Roof Studio
© Lara Swimmer
Wall + Roof Studio
© Lara Swimmer

The overlap of wall plus roof defines a room for use as a potting shed and future writing studio.

CONSTRUCTION
The spiraling wall is constructed of conventional 2x wood stud framing clad with 1x6 cedar drop siding stained black. At select locations thin strips of siding have been removed to create a screened effect for the outdoor working yard.

On the work yard side of the wall, stud bays are left un-sided to house garden tools. The folded plate roof is constructed of conventional 2x wood rafters clad with metal corrugated framing. The clerestory between wall and roof is treated with a polycarbonate glazing panel.

Wall + Roof Studio
© Lara Swimmer
Wall + Roof Studio
© Lara Swimmer

GATE
A pivoting steel gate placed between the end of the wall and the corner of the existing residence provides security and access between the driveway and garden.

Wall + Roof Studio
© Lara Swimmer
Wall + Roof Studio
© Lara Swimmer

A favorite photograph of the Owner’s by 20th century Hungarian photographer Andre Kertesz (“The Circus, Budapest”) inspired the idea to install peep holes at various levels of the gate. The peep holes are placed to form the constellation Draco.

Wall + Roof Studio
© Lara Swimmer


Wall + Roof Studio
Site Plan
Wall + Roof Studio
Plan


Wall + Roof Studio
Sketch
Wall + Roof Studio
Sketch


Wall + Roof Studio
Model
Wall + Roof Studio
Model
Wall + Roof Studio
Sketch