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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. Adjacent to the white cube is a black cube, clad in steel and appropriate for the screening of video art.

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-storey exposed concrete fireplace can be accessed on three floors.

The exterior of the house is clad in weathered steel and rough wood, serving as a textural backdrop for a garden which partially climbs 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.