House Remodelling | Granny Pad | Maple Leaf | Seattle | Washington | Best Practice Architecture

Created for a growing multi-generational family, Granny Pad converted an existing garage into detached living space to allow an elderly family member to age-in-place while maintaining privacy and independence.

Design considerations for the Granny Pad included looking at the project over a long timeline. Not only was the Best Practice team asked to address the immediate needs of Granny, but to address future uses of the space as a possible income generator for the couple. This timeline, which included a future when the family could rent the dwelling to a tenant, use it as a studio or office, or even move in as empty nesters (thus renting out the main house) all informed the design of the space.

The team was taken with the existing garage’s simple, classic form, and wanted a design that maintained and enhanced this iconic gable. Using the original footprint of the garage was necessary, but property setback lines required an offset for the additional rear volume. This offset produced a rich composition of simple shapes, and a condition that allows for north light in the back half of the space (sleeping area) while creating an opportunity for the private rear outdoor space.....more

Modern Small Multi-Family House | Big Mouth House | Squire Park | Seattle | Washington | Be Architectureest Practic

Big Mouth House is a small multi-family project developed collaboratively between three architects and friends working together.

Big Mouth House received it’s namesake when a close friend observed the construction and exclaimed that house resembled Japan’s beloved Domo mascot then promptly crafted this endearing collage.

Each unit was carefully considered as a flexible urban home with a studio space on the lower level ADU that could be used as an income generator for the owners and roof deck up top to capture the city views to the West. The massing of the project is very simple, with all three units pushed North on the narrow site, in order to provide a shared walkway with planted garden spaces along the South side. All three units have entries off the shared walk, giving a neighborly and connected feel to the homes and gardens. The pathway stretches from the front sidewalk to the communal parking area in the rear alley.

The vertical metal panel cladding unites the three homes, creating a taut skin and striking form, and is continued in a 2×2 black painted fencing that surrounds the site. Custom pink powder coated panels and railings provide a pop of color that enlivens the front and side facades. Entries of each unit are painted with the bright accent and boast custom pink unit signage.......more

Modern House Design | Moose Road House | California | Mork-Ulnes Architects

This project site offers a prized vantage point onto three locally celebrated landscapes: “Eagle Rock,” a striking mountain ridge and a valley of vineyards below. Each oriented toward one of the landscapes beyond, the plan’s three prongs extend precisely in between the existing trees to carefully preserve each oak tree. The house was also constructed on steel stilts to avoid severing tree roots. To cut costs and minimize waste, the building was designed according to standard–sized, off–the–shelf sheet materials. This strategy was essential to completing the building within a tiny budget (under $170 per square foot)......more