We’re excited to see our latest new house emerging from the ground! Our client is an aficionado of Frank Lloyd Wright, and he wanted his new home to be modeled after Falling Water, which is a study in earth hugging horizontal planes, and natural materials anchoring the house into the ground.
A hard act to follow! Unfortunately our site in suburban Kirkland doesn’t quite match the pristine woodland or rushing stream that gurgles under Bear Run! And the owner’s budget doesn’t allow for the gorgeous stone and cantilevered concrete that Falling Water features; our version substitutes stucco, Hardiboard, and northwest indigenous materials like cedar siding and slate to achieve a similar approach, yet more appropriately influenced by current technologies and this particular site’s context.
This home is actually two-in-one! The first floor is home to the owner’s elder parents, and sits low into a dug-out plinth on the property so as to maximize daylight and not feel subterranean….at the same time allowing for 2 floors above within restrictive height limits! The upper two floors are home to the owners and their son, with the kitchen and living spaces on the top floor where the views are best. Common spaces both inside and out enable the two families to come together or enjoy independence as they wish.
You can see the building’s strong horizontal elements taking shape as the framing starts. See our progress, and check back again soon for further updates!