![Portage Bay House / Heliotrope Architects - Exterior Photography, Waterfront](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5eb5/b529/b357/65bd/2b00/06ea/newsletter/heliotrope-hamlin-2921x.jpg?1588966677)
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Architects: Heliotrope Architects
- Area: 2500 ft²
- Year: 2015
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Photographs:Aaron Leitz
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Manufacturers: Hansgrohe, RHEINZINK, Alape, Subzero/Wolf, Ann Sacks, Caesarstone, Fleetwood
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Landscape: The Berger Partnership, Jonathan Morley
![Portage Bay House / Heliotrope Architects - Exterior Photography, Facade](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5e9f/aaef/b357/652a/3c00/108d/newsletter/heliotrope-hamlin-6458x.jpg?1587522280)
Text description provided by the architects. Tucked into a small city lot along the water’s edge, the house was designed to live like a studio loft for a bachelor who values privacy, a central location to reside in the city, and a convenient spot to park the floatplane. Hidden from the street, the building is a protective shell of zinc and aluminum – a refined version of the maritime industrial sheds found throughout the waterfronts of Seattle.
![Portage Bay House / Heliotrope Architects - Exterior Photography, Facade, Glass](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5e9f/a837/b357/653c/b100/04b1/medium_jpg/heliotrope-hamlin-2886x.jpg?1587521566)
Water-side, the house becomes more transparent, with prospect-views over the houseboats of Portage Bay, the University of Washington, and the Cascade Mountains. Living, cooking, and sleeping all occur in one volume distributed over two-floor levels, sized and shaped to envelop the occupant in a protective refuge.
![Portage Bay House / Heliotrope Architects - Exterior Photography](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5e9f/aa9d/b357/653c/b100/04bc/newsletter/heliotrope-hamlin-6399x.jpg?1587522175)
![Portage Bay House / Heliotrope Architects - Exterior Photography, Concrete](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5e9f/a800/b357/652a/3c00/1080/medium_jpg/heliotrope-hamlin-2882x.jpg?1587521505)
The kitchen is small and streamlined with equipment paired down to the essentials. Bathing happens in a below-grade spa or a master bath with a Japanese style hinoki tub overlooking the lake.
![Portage Bay House / Heliotrope Architects - Interior Photography, Countertop, Kitchen, Table, Chair](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5e9f/a748/b357/653c/b100/04ab/newsletter/heliotrope-hamlin-204x.jpg?1587521345)
![Portage Bay House / Heliotrope Architects - Image 36 of 39](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5e9f/a654/b357/653c/b100/04a3/newsletter/PORTAGE_BAY_DRAWINGS_4.jpg?1587521098)
![Portage Bay House / Heliotrope Architects - Interior Photography, Living Room, Table, Sofa, Chair](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5e9f/a6b1/b357/653c/b100/04a6/newsletter/heliotrope-hamlin-150x.jpg?1587521194)
An interior palette of cedar, walnut, flagstone, blackened steel, and marble stands in contrast to the machine-like character of the exterior. Site constraints, and the modest needs of a bachelor, generated a one-bedroom residence smaller in size and lower in height than the house it replaced.
![Portage Bay House / Heliotrope Architects - Interior Photography, Kitchen, Wood, Glass, Beam](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5e9f/a644/b357/653c/b100/04a2/medium_jpg/heliotrope-hamlin-111x.jpg?1587521086)