AIA Home of Distinction
AIA Seattle Home of Distinction: Thinking Big to go Small
Architect, homeowners overcome sizable challenges
Pullman residents Iris and Mark Lange purchased a century-old Green Lake farmhouse in 2014 as a possible residence for a son who was considering attending college in Seattle. At the time, they thought the lot might also be a good future fit for a small new home known locally as a detached additional dwelling unit, or…
AIA Seattle Home of Distinction: Gear Shift
Winthrop home serves as both storage space and cozy residence
Meet the California Closets of outdoor enthusiasm. Never has a more disagreeable tangle of incompatible geometric shapes and lumpy accessories been perpetrated on humankind than the hardware of the modern adventurer. Trying to organize skis, kayaks, snowboards, fishing rods, paddles, boots, bikes, climbing gear, bedrolls, duffel bags and cooking kits in an SUV can be a nightmare. For…
AIA Seattle Home of Distinction: Cozy and Comfy
Vacation home borrows from Scandinavian, European mountain designs
It is sometimes the role of the artist to jar clients from their comfort zone. It is not common for residential architects to be asked do the same. But that was the challenge presented to Syndicate Smith LLC, a residential and commercial architectural studio in Leavenworth. Seattle residents Paul Carpenter and Steve Bartz wanted a…
AIA Home of Distinction: Central District Triplex Provides a Blank Canvas for Bold Design Strokes Inside and Out
'We wanted to create a model for urban living, where we have potentially six homes: three townhomes and then the three Airbnb or mother-in-law units'
KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL: Architects and partners Steven Lazen and Kailin Gregga live in one unit of the Central District triplex nicknamed Big Mouth House; Lazen loves to cook, so he opted for a big kitchen featuring this island with a six-burner stovetop
AIA Home of Distinction: Seattle Couple Doubles Size of Small Floating Home for a Modern Upgrade
Seattle professionals live the good life in their floating dream home on Lake Union
FLOAT ON :Gone is the original 679-square-foot, turn-of-the-century cottage that sat on this Lake Union raft—in its place, a 1,500-square-foot modern home that checks all the boxes on the owners’ wish list
AIA Home of Distinction: Couple Makes Light the Focal Point in This View Ridge Remodel
A View Ridge couple rebuild their hillside home to let the sunshine in
ALL DECKED OUT: Homeowners Tom and Amy Gaffney rebuilt their 1939 home to bring more light in; the deck, which looks over Lake Washington, is one of the couple’s favorite spots to hang out in the summer
AIA Home of Distinction: Couple Thinks Small in WA’s Methow Valley
For an adventurous couple, small living in Washington’s Methow Valley offers big benefits
ALL DECKED OUT: Architect Margo Peterson-Aspholm designed the 800-square-foot Brazilian hardwood deck to integrate with both the home and the meadow. The result is this covered floating deck with steps
AIA Home of Distinction: Leschi House Gets an Eco-Friendly Addition
Five years after moving into their dream home, a Seattle couple builds a backyard dwelling with benefits
SUN ROOF: The owners wanted the cottage to be as green as possible, so Chadbourne + Doss Architects added solar panels to match those of the main house
AIA Home of Distinction: Inside a View Ridge Midcentury Makeover
After a decade and a half of dealing with drafty windows and one too many system failures, a Seattle couple made the move to update their cherished View Ridge home
ROOM UNINTERRUPTED: Architect Allan Farkas opened up the cramped floor plan by removing a central stone fireplace and creating a “wedge” feature that organizes the main floor into zones; it now houses a number of important items including a gas fireplace
AIA Home of Distinction: Inside a Wooded Whidbey Island Residence
A couple of Seattle artists find work-life balance among the trees in this forest retreat on Whidbey Island
“V” FORMATION: Architect Tom Lenchek of Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects used floor-to-ceiling windows and a polycarbonate clerestory on the back of the main residence to let in precious light; the west wing (left) is a master suite and guest quarters, while the east wing (right) features a dining room, kitchen, living room and large outdoor…
AIA Home of Distinction: This Queen Anne Remodel Honors the Home’s Historic Past
A Seattle couple treats their Queen Anne house to a modern makeover honoring its Prairie School past
DETAIL ORIENTED: Architect David DiMarco used the original drawins for this 1912 Queen Anne house as a resource when working on a remodel to restore “an authenticity that the exterior of the home had missed out on for years” with details like custom copper downspouts that he commissioned to mimic those that had been removed…
AIA Home of Distinction: Inside a Sublime San Juan Island Retreat
A couple’s San Juan Island campsite turns into the home of their dreams—30 years in the making
LITTLE BOXES: Paul and Bonnie Bunning wanted their house to be an art piece, says principal designer Geoff Prentiss. That meant from the outside as well as within. The house, a series of cascading boxes, is wrapped in cypress boards preserved in the Japan