Love of the local landscape, along with a healthy respect for the environment, runs through this city’s architecture and interior design. Written by Becky Harris.
When I think of Seattle, I think of the Space Needle, sleeplessness on a houseboat, Starbucks, Singles, Soundgarden, and spitting rain. Realizing this was probably a very weak and stereotypical way to describe one of my favorite cities, I decided to dig deeper and talk with architects and designers in the Pacific Northwest to get an accurate picture of the Seattle design scene.
Seattle designers universally agree that the area’s unique geography and climate are the strongest influences upon design. The striking beauty of their surroundings inspires blurring the lines between indoors and out, arranging rooms “upside down” (more on that later), utilizing rain screens and living in homes that float atop the water. Other priorities in Seattle design are a profound concern for the environment, relaxed and outdoorsy lifestyles, and respect for local materials and craftsmanship. The combination of these influences results in residential designs that are unique to the region. Here are seven factors that help make Seattle design distinct.
1. Sustainable design.
“A misconception about design in Seattle is that solar doesn’t work,” says architect Jim Burton. “In fact, Seattle has more usable solar, on an annual basis, than Germany, which has the most solar per capita in the world. With the current federal and state incentives for doing photovoltaic or solar thermal, it makes a lot of economic sense too.”
The passive house is the next wave here, he says. “There’s a strong, growing P.H. community in the Northwest, and our climate really lends itself to this.”
|
A desire to live more efficiently manifests itself in overall scale as well as smart details. Architect Nils Finne characterizes Seattle style as “not showy, with an understated and restrained sense of style — small houses, not McMansions.”
|
“Sustainability has become an integral part of how we design our buildings,” says architect Dan Nelson. “Rain screen systems [one is seen on this floating house] are frequently used on the exterior envelope to protect against water intrusion.”
|
“We are seeing an increase in the use of high-quality, low-maintenance and environmentally friendly Trespa panels for exterior cladding and decorative facades,” says Rich Nord of RGN Construction. “We use a rain screen system with the panels, which provides the perfect combination of style and function for our Seattle weather.”
|
|
2. Making the most of the spectacular geography of the area, as well as maximizing natural light.
“The city and region are topographically varied, and the resultant slopes allow for a variety of mountain, water and city views,” says architect Allan Farkas. “Thus, when given the opportunity, we tend to design to take maximum advantage of the views. In some cases this has involved doing what we’ve been calling an ‘upside-down’ house, with the main living spaces on the top floor and the bedrooms below.”
|
Architect Finne agrees. “Here in the Pacific Northwest, natural light is a precious commodity, and the interiors of my projects are filled with a soft, diffuse daylight that usually comes from high clerestory windows. During the daytime hours, many of my clients do not need any artificial lights at all — the ultimate energy conservation measure,” he says. “The high windows are also often operable, so that during the summer months, we can take advantage of natural ventilation.”
“Strategies are blurring the boundary between the inside and outside — for example, running materials and/or design elements continuous from indoors to out, the use of natural materials, maximizing natural light and passive solar heating,” says Burton.
|
Architect Regan McClellan agrees, noting that Seattle’s architectural style has “strong responses to views, light and the use of natural materials to reflect the surrounding landscape. Large window areas fully embrace views and also let in natural light, especially during our dark winters.”
|
|
“Typically this results in single-pitch roofs that open up the view on the high side, and on the downslope side provide a more intimate scale,” continues McClellan. “We almost exclusively use a palette of materials and colors that is nature based to reflect the colors and textures that are found in the Pacific Northwest landscape.”
|
|
3. The climate is a large influence upon Seattle lifestyles and design, but not really in the way you might think.
“One misconception is that it always rains and so we don’t go outside,” says Farkas. “The truth is that while it stays gray for much of the winter, it rarely rains hard and doesn’t get that cold. So, you put on a rain jacket and go about your business. Similarly, if you have a good roof overhang and some wind protection, outdoor spaces can be used year-round. Also, the summers are glorious: long days and no rain — we haven’t had a drop in 44 days. Yet another reason for usable outdoor space.”
|
|
“We do in fact get rain, and attention needs to be paid to it,” Farkas adds. “Roof overhangs and well-detailed gutters and downspouts can turn a necessity into an amenity.”
|
|
4. Relaxed and outdoorsy lifestyles.
Seattle’s laid-back attitude shows through in architecture. “Our dwellings tend to have open floor plans that reflect the casual lifestyle of Northwest living,” says Nelson. “Living spaces open up to the spectacular views of mountains, water and lush vegetation. It is common for modern Seattle homes to have large expanses of glass opening up to the views. It is also common to have operable glass walls — Nana walls — or glass overhead doors opening up to outdoor rooms, terraces or gardens.”
|
McClellan also notes a movement toward less formal homes. “We’re not seeing separate formal living rooms, dining rooms and kitchens,” he says. “Instead these spaces are combined both physically and visually to create a less formal experience.”
5. Use of local materials, including lots of wood from the region.
“I’d say the honest use of wood is a strong component of the Seattle style. “Honest” meaning using it in a way that serves a function, along with being beautiful,” says Burton. “Wood rain screen is one way to achieve this. Also, we use deep overhangs to protect the houses from our rainy winters.”
|
Burton used both a wood rain screen and deep overhangs on this project. Here is a closer look at the rain screen siding.
|
|
Nelson also notes the wealth of natural materials in the region and its influence on the architecture. “Our dwellings tend to be constructed of natural materials such as cedar and fir,” he says. “The structure is frequently exposed on the interiors.”
He adds that “now there is a tendency to use wood along with steel and concrete. It is common to expose steel beams along with wood floor joists and beams.” |
|
“Seattle is surrounded by gorgeous native Pacific Northwest stands of Douglas fir, red cedar and, further north, Alaskan yellow cedar,” says Finne. “Wood brings warmth and a natural touch to exterior and interior.”
|
“I think what makes a design distinctly Seattle is more the Northwest style of mixing the natural elements we are so lucky to be surrounded with here in the Pacific Northwest,” says interior designer Beverly Bradshaw. “Using stone and wood, along with glass and iron, as there are so many talented artisans here in Seattle that work with all those mediums.”
|
6. The natural color palette of the region.
Bradshaw believes that working with the natural color palette is the best way for interiors and the natural light to complement each other. “The colors of the sky, water, earthy tones and green from the trees we are surrounded by helps to bring in the Northwest look,” she says.
|
by Tewes Design
Interior designer Karla Tewes likes to respond to Seattle’s climate and colors another way: with bright color. “I would say that a trend on the rise in Seattle is the use of color,” she says.
by Tewes Design
“You may wear black every day and the sky may be gray most of the year, but nothing changes a mood like a fresh pop of color in your home,” says Tewes.
7. Influence of the region’s corporations.
According to Nelson, local megabusinesses influence aesthetics as well. “The coffee culture of Seattle — the Starbucks aesthetic — and Microsoft — the integration of technology — have certainly made an impact on contemporary Seattle design,” he says.
Finne mentions the influence of local corporations as well, in particular that of the highly sophisticated aerospace industry — that is, Boeing. He notes “the use of sophisticated CNC machines [and] highly sophisticated water jet, milling and machining shops” in residential design, particularly for the details.
However, this use of technology has not affected local designers’ high regard for craftsmanship or the availability of highly skilled local craftspeople. Finne notes concern for craft and detail in Seattle’s architecture, which results in “long-lasting construction designed to weather gracefully.” This is a classic sustainable way to approach design. “If we consume less but make sure that we do choose thoughtfully designed, well-crafted objects and environments, we are on the path to a sustainable future,” he says.
Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I’ll describe as “collected.” I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I’ve been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
*This post originally ran on www.houzz.com.
I love the spiral stair on the floating house, so playful
Some really nice interior architecture in this post
The sections must have taken a while to draw up