Courtyard House on a Steep Site / Hutchison & Maul Architecture

© Eduardo Calderon

Architects: Hutchison & Maul Architecture
Location: Mercer Island, Washington, USA
Design Team: Robert Hutchison, Tom Maul, Joyce Puri
Landscape Architect: Bruce Hinckley, Alchemie
Structural Engineer: Jeff Albert
Mechanical Engineer: Rainbow Consulting
Interior Design: Hutchison & Maul Architecture w/ Julie Petri
Contractor: EH Construction
Project Area: 623 sqm
Project Year: 2004-2007
Photography: Eduardo Calderon, Alan Abramowitz, Tom Hille, Hutchison & Maul Architecture

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

site plan

© Alan Abramowitz

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. 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.

© Alan Abramowitz

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. 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.