A Full Build for Empty Nesters
Mount Si Retirement
Finding clever design solutions to build a reliable, remote home in the Cascade Foothills.
With an empty nest quickly approaching, these homeowners began thinking about what it would be like to downsize their home and move to a more remote location. They dreamed of a modest home intimately connected to the land, taking up no more space than necessary for accommodating their daily needs and hosting the occasional guest. Sustainability was also an interest for the pair, so they reached out to us to help merge all of their visions into one, forever-home reality.
While the rewards of moving to a remote location are bountiful, building a home on rugged land can pose unique challenges. Situated at the base of Mount Si on the Snoqualmie River, the entire property is in the flood plain and special considerations were made to ensure the structure could withstand these conditions.
The foundation of the home is designed to keep the floor above water at all times, with open grilles on all sides to allow water to flow through rather than stagnate. The floor is supported by an insulated concrete deck on steel columns to prevent molding or other moisture-related structural damage.
A Lantern in the Night
As the night darkens, the home beckons with a welcoming glow. Mount Si Retirement | Photo by Michael Zarieki.
A Lantern in the Night
As the night darkens, the home beckons with a welcoming glow. Mount Si Retirement | Photo by Michael Zarieki.
The main structure provides the ideal amount of space for the homeowners, and a smaller guest house offers visitors their own private quarters. Although they’re separate units, they both share a deck and roof, making for a quick, easy (and dry!) passage via an outdoor hallway.
A large, partially covered porch stretches beyond out from the main house, creating a space for friends, family, and the outdoor-loving homeowners to indulge in mountain views and fresh air. A detached carport with a shop enclosed on one end completes the cluster of structures.
Taking advantage of the site’s orientation, passive solar design to helps regulate the home’s temperature. Tall windows and French doors soak the home’s interior with natural light, offer a glimpse of the surrounding forest, and bring a welcoming openness to the exterior.
The home’s interior is a cozy, warm contrast to the Pacific Northwest grayscale palette that blends its exterior into the mountainside. Bright neutrals combined with wooden ceilings, floors, framing, and fixtures make the inside of this home feel like a familiar, homey cabin.
Mount Si Retirement
Mount Si Retirement | Photo by Michael Zarieki.
The final result is a welcoming and sustainable home, attuned to the needs of its owners and built to weather the challenges posed by the terrain. By closely grouping the structures, we created a compound that maintains a limited footprint on the land and encourages appreciation of its natural surroundings.
Building to Handle a Flood
With the property in a flood plain, the foundation of the home is designed to let flood water flow through it, while the floor above remains dry. Mount Si Retirement | Photo by Michael Zarieki.
Building to Handle a Flood
With the property in a flood plain, the foundation of the home is designed to let flood water flow through it, while the floor above remains dry. Mount Si Retirement | Photo by Michael Zarieki.
Notes & Credits
Photography by Michael Zarieki.
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