Silver Residence / Studio Nocturne

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Text description provided by the architects.The Silver Residence is a mountainous retreat in the foothills of the northern Cascade mountains. Surrounded by evergreen forest, the home occupies a small meadowed clearing populated with mature Big Leaf Maple trees. The goal of the design was for the house to participate in the experience of the meadow from inside and out. Taking inspiration from the English Picturesque and the vernacular wooden barns of the region, the house is consciously sited the house with particular vantages in mind. A repurposed ruin that has only recently been rediscovered.The elevations of the home are restrained. Large monolithic volumes and surfaces alter one's perception of scale, and the deliberate vertical lines of the siding reinforce the pictorial impression of the house. Rather than many smaller windows, the elevations consolidate the openings to large-format windows. These large unobstructed panes of glass make the home seem smaller from the exterior and more expansive from the interior. The interior of these windows is surrounded by matching wood paneling which frame views out to nature, almost like living paintings. The winters in northwestern Washington are long and grey with little sunlight, so enhancing natural daylight was a priority. Separate from the windows focused on particular views, the house is designed with tall, white ceiling volumes with operable windows to maximize light. These features act as a room-scaled lightbox that creates a bright airiness to the light-toned wood surfaces below.In addition to achieving the daylighting goal, this window design helped the home achieve its net-zero rating with a relatively modest solar panel array for the UV index. In the hot summer months, an effective stack effect keeps the house cool throughout the day without any active cooling system. The well-daylit spaces also require less additional lighting during the day, which helps reduce our energy demand. This design strategy pairs well with the house's continuous exterior cork insulation and efficient electrical systems. Local Western Red Cedar and Douglas Fir are utilized for interior and exterior finishes, including some from the trees cut down during construction.The house itself is an arrangement of distinct elements. The more traditionally detailed lodge houses the communal spaces facing the meadow. The bedrooms and bathrooms are tucked away in corrugated volumes facing the woods for visual and acoustic privacy. These two halves are mediated by a white wall that runs the length of the plan. In addition to spatially separating the house's functions, the wall acts as a backdrop for the arranged volumes while one strolls through the meadow or surrounding woods.