1. CAVEHILL RESIDENCE
Seattle, Washington
SITE board finishes. Further, he provided guidance to the
The Cavehill Residence is a substantial alteration of owners as needed for any efforts requiring a mod-
an existing single-story house on the west slope of est knowledge or level of skill.
Seattle's Queen Anne Hill. A neighboring house
blocked potential dramatic views to Puget Sound SOLUTION
and the distant range of Olympic Mountains. Be- Living, dining and kitchen spaces were placed on a
cause the street facade of the original house was new open loft at the upper level, beneath a distinc-
much closer to the property line than presently al- tive "butterfly" roof, with uninterrupted views to the
lowed, projected new construction at an upper level, west, south and north. The resulting roofscape view
intended to access the desirable vista, had to con- of the Sound and Olympics was reminiscent of the
form to the current setback standard of fifteen feet. owner's childhood bunk bed view to the shipbuild-
ing harbor of Belfast, Ireland. Private spaces were
PROGRAM set on the ground level with the master bedroom
The existing structure was in a badly deteriorated positioned at the back for seclusion and garden ac-
condition, which needed to be stabilized and cess. An office/guestroom, was placed at the front
strengthened to carry new living space above. A and an integrated master/guest bath suite located in
severely restricted budget required that the owners the middle. A simple steel stair with wooden treads
and their friends provide much of the construction was developed as a clear, elegant and sculptural tran-
labor over a period of several years. A general con- sition element from a lower entry gallery to the
tractor was retained to perform essential skilled tasks upper loft. The house is sheathed with a cost-effec-
such as structural foundation and framing work. He tive, owner-installed cementitious rainscreen siding
was also responsible for all electrical and plumbing system on metal tracks . Meticulous detailing of the
interventions and the installation of gypsum wall- system belies its basic warehouse-grade quality.
EGGLESTON ! FARKAS ARCHITECTS professional services corporation 1821 Tenth Avenue West, Seattle, Washington 98119 tel 206.283.0250
