“Whoever did this is very skilled,” said one of our jurors. Perched on a steep slope in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle, this custom home had to absorb a newly blended family, while also capturing some of the best views in the city.
“It’s an epic location,” says architect Aimée O’Carroll, ARB. “You have the city, the Sound, and mountains on both sides. But the steep slope restricts the area you can go into, so we had to figure out how to accommodate a family of eight and a lot of cars. Because there was an existing house and an existing garage, we could get a little more footprint than is currently allowed.”
Because the couple loves to cook and entertain, the architects prioritized shared spaces. A central living, dining, kitchen area rises two stories, capturing light and vistas from the slope side of the property. The plan divides an upper level into a children’s wing with pod-sized bedrooms and a kids’ lounge from the primary suite at the opposite end. A lower level provides a plethora of rainy-day activities and access to the pool on pleasant days. Topping off the house is a high-tech and low-tech combination of gardens and solar panels.
A complex plan on a challenging site, for sure, nonetheless every space is executed with a high level of custom craft and attention to detail. “The stair especially was creatively done,” said a juror. “This is an amazing project for this site.”
Citation
Custom Urban House
GO’C
Sound House
Seattle
Project Credits
Architect/Interior Designer: Aimée O’Carroll, ARB; Jon Gentry, AIA, GO’C, Seattle
Builder: Thomas Fragnoli Construction, Seattle
Structural Engineer: Swenson Say Faget, Tacoma, Washington
Project Size: 5,500 square feet
Site Size: 0.18 acre
construction cost: $1,000 per square foot
Photography: Kevin Scott
Key Products
Cabinetry: Custom by Scott Faulkner
Cladding: T&G cedar with ebony stain; Richlite cladding panels
Cooking Ventilation: Vent-A-Hood
Countertops: Carrara marble
Door Hardware: Emtek; FritsJurgens (entry door pivot hardware)
Faucets: Dornbracht
Kitchen Sink: Julien
Lighting: Rich Willing Brilliant
Range: Lacanche
Refrigerator: True
Fireplace: Isokern; Regency
Windows: Quantum WIndows & Doors