The owl house, so named for a resident pair of nesting barred owls, is located adjacent to a densely forested wetland on Bainbridge Island - 35 minutes by ferry from downtown Seattle. The project is comprised of two separate structures - each with oppposing shed roofs - joined only by a common gutter. The two structures adjoin opposite sides of a 120 foot long concrete site wall. This wall divides the existing slope into upper and lower terraces. The larger structure containing the 3 bedroom residence opens to the upper terrace at the main living level and to the lower terrace at the bedroom level below. The smaller structure containing a studio/guest house sets atop the upper terrace forming a buffer between the house and the street. The site strategy achieves the client's primary goal that the overall massing of the project suggests a single story structure from most vantage points - it is "hunkered" into the existing slope - while creating multiple opportunites for direct access from the living spaces into the landscape. Major materials are sandblasted concrete, painted cement-fiber Hardiplank siding, fir plywood soffits/ceilings and aluminum windows. The roof is standing seam Zincalume sheet metal.
