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Laurelhurst Residence + enlarge

Photographer: Benjamin Benschneider

Laurelhurst Residence

  • PROJECT ROLES
  • Tom Kundig, Design Principal
  • LOCATION & YEAR
  • Seattle, WA, 2010

Project Details

This home serves as a backdrop for the owners’ collection of figurative art and a space to entertain, as well as a private retreat. The house contains a variety of spaces to engage with a range of art forms, most notably, sculpture and new media.

Starting from the entrance, a spare, white gallery space creates a refined backdrop for the clients’ collection. The layout of the gallery sequence encourages visitors to engage directly with the art, often at close-quarters. As you move further into the house, public space give way to private spaces. The top floor is cabin-like, with a large, west-facing deck sheltered by deep overhangs. A three-story exposed concrete fireplace can be accessed on each floors.

The exterior of the house is clad in weathered steel and rough wood, serving as a textural backdrop for a garden which will climb up the walls via trellising. Precisely sited on a steep site, the design works to retain its owners’ privacy while in close proximity to neighbors.

Sustainable strategies include a photovoltaic system, solar evacuation tubes, and reclaimed materials used in both the structure and interior custom furnishings.

Interiors designed by Olson Kundig Architects.