A great Seattle Architect. Gene Zema’s  Lupton Residence: a design analysis.

Here are further thoughts on design from an analysis of the Lupton Residence! (See our earlier blog posting for an overview and virtual tour.) This is a classic mid-century residence on Mercer Island. The residence was a Seattle Times/AIA House of the Month, and then House of the Year in 1961.  For such a modest home by today’s standards, it offers much to learn from!

As Seattle residential architects commited to designing beautiful homes that withstand the follies of style and trends, we continually strive to widen our understanding of what makes for a well-designed house…one that responds appropriately to it’s place, time, and functional requirements!  The points below describe how we have analyzed this still-wonderful home, and what we’ve learned from it.

Plan: overall site plan and organizing structural presentation is immediately understandable. The house is one simple rectangle with an adjacent garage. The entry is intuitively found in the space between! Especially with smaller single-family residences, the floor plan should be simple and easy to understand. Immediately.

Structure: simple wood structural elements are expressed clearly. Nothing  is hidden, rather the pieces and connections are elegant and exposed so that they become the “ornamentation”. In some cases, the structure is exaggerated or celebrated, for example the projection of the beams and supports at the upper and lower roof supports. Especially here in the Northwest, architecture can be very expressive of the wealth of natural materials that are appropriate for use in residential construcion. 

 Roof element: is expressed as a major and powerful element of the overall form. This (very Japanese) characteristic lends an iconic, primal quality to a house: shelter at its most basic. The overhangs are large, especially noticeable at the glazed corner of the living room view where the house seems to reach right out into the garden beyond. It’s the big overhangs that achieve this quality. This creates the inside/outside exchange…that feeling of bringing the outside in that so many people here in the Northwest long for.

 Screens: filling in the wall planes of the modular floor plane. These range from opaque walls of white Sheetrock, to wood lattice in varying degrees of openness, to placement of kitchen cabinets overhead that allows one to see around or through. All of this results in creating views into adjacent spaces, creating spatial complexity, and making a small house feel much larger and more complex than it really is!

Floor Plan: is very simple. It’s a rectangle with all living psaces aligned along the view edge. Public spaces downstairs, and private spaces (bedrooms) upstairs. Hard-working psaces like kitchen, bathrooms, closets, utility etc. are located along the back (non-view) edge and under the loft.

What a great house! AND a construction cost of $25k in 1961. Supposedly that translates into about $250k in today’s dollars! Of course you wouldn’t be able to build the house exactly this way now due to energy codes and other code changes; these newer requirements create additional cost.  But the overall design is masterful; it’s been a priveledge to visit this house and step into the mind of a great local architect!

We had the honor of visiting another classic mid-century custom home recently; this one designed by Gene Zema for the Lupton family on Mercer Island. Thanks once again to Docomomo for arranging this tour!

This is a particularly interesting  and, I think, relevant house. Built in 1961, it is a really good example of the “Northwest School”…that 50′s generation of Seattle area architects who embraced the newly emergent principals of Bauhaus modernism, but incorporated an influence of regional context into their designs. It is this uniquely local interpretation of mid-century modernism that I find so inspiring; it’s not found anywhere else! And it so embodies the essence of our region.

The designs of Gene Zema, Paul Kirk, Wendell Lovett, Roland Terry, Al Bumgardner and many others all embraced the tenants of contemporary space and form-making, but it’s their use of WOOD that set their work apart from their contemporaries elsewhere in the country. Responding to the local context of forest, views and rain, these architects developed a regional style known for its elegant  structural expression…wood being the medium. These buildings were smaller in scale (wood not being suitable for larger commercial projects), featured pitched roofs, large expanses of glass for views and openness, and reached out to incorporate the landscape, often very dramatically. 

There is a prominent Japanese quality to most of the work of this era…intentional in some cases, but also, I think, because of the same use of materials and same contextual features found in traditional vernacular Japanese architecture. 

Zema’s work in particular is very Japanese in nature. The Lupton House plan is based on a 3′ module; multiples of this module are manipulated to create dynamic spatial complexities, either open and large or intimate and containing. Screens are employed in varying degrees to build a range of spatial experience and richness of detail that is seldom seen in today’s architecture. Yet his work is modest, simple, and inexpensive. 

I personally think we have much to gain by revisiting the work of these Northwest School architects, and reconsidering some of those design qualities that celebrate the essence of this place we call home. 

See our next blog entry for a more detailed analysis of the Lupton Residence!

Why Architect-led Design Build?

It takes a team to build a home

In a traditional model, an owner hires both an architect and a contractor.  With the design-build model, the owner hires one team to design and construct the project. The result is a project with open communication with no finger pointing at the other party.  One entity has accountability for the success of the project from design thru completion.  There is continuity of design and project goals throughout the process, with realized cost savings.

Open communication

One of the greatest advantages of the design-build is open communication. Too often in the traditional architect/builder/owner relationship there is finger pointing when complications arise (and there is always something whether new construction or remodel). As a design-build team, we recognize the importance of being in this together and have the same goals and objectives. Collectively we work together to find solutions to any complications that arise.

Accountability

One entity is responsible for everything! What does that mean to the owner?  The great benefit to the owner is that cost, scheduling, design, and fees are accurately coordinated starting early in the design phase.  When the same entity that designs a project builds the project, cost and scheduling are integrated into the design much earlier, saving clients costly design and scope changes late in the process.

Continuity

Too often in a traditional project delivery the architect doesn’t get to be very involved in the project construction, only going to the site a few times during construction, if at all. The result can be a weakening of the design concept because the contractor will be making uninformed design decisions. In our design-build method, the architect is the leading team member. Bi-weekly site visits with the client and construction manager are the norm. The result is continuity of design concepts and detailing from drawing boards through the project completion.

Cost and Time Saving

Because the architect and builder are part of the same team there is time and cost savings. The cost saving starts early in the design process with estimating of construction cost early in the process and letting that inform the design. The savings continue during construction with the architects’ involvement. Being one entity, the architect is always on hand to answer questions that inevitably arise. Decisions are made quicker and often there is little fee involved. In a traditional delivery method, there is often a lot of waiting for direction from the architect. Or, the architect may not even get to be involved which can impact the end results significantly.

HOUSE TOUR THIS SATURDAY!!

We’re very excited to invite you to come visit one of our recent projects: the Mid-Century Sanctuary in Magnolia. Its a whole house remodel and second story addition…a really lovely home!  The house is being shown as part of the annual Tour of Architects; a showcase of the latest, best work by local architects. Look up www.tourofarchitects.com for more info and tickets to the tour. Or, if you just want to drop by and visit us in Magnolia, send us a note and we’ll forward you the address. 

Hope to see you there!

 Buzz, Julie and the team at CTA.

I had a wonderful visit to the island this week and was thrilled to see such exciting progress on our new house design. The construction crew is a terrific team of skilled craftsmen, and exudes real enjoyment in their work. The owners are living in the tiny original cabin right next to the new house site, so they keep the carpenters happy with coffee and treats every morning. Can’t beat that: along with an exquisite view from their workplace, who wouldn’t want to have that job?!

We walked through the house interior with the electricians, deciding on exact locations for lights and switches. The interior is in a state of open stud walls right now. All the rooms are there, but you can see through the studs! In a few cases, framing required that we lay out our lights a little differently than the plans showed, but overall we were quite happy with the results. Laying out the lighting on-site like this is a critical step in the construction process.

The next few weeks will see the electrical and plumbing rough-in work completed. After that, insulation goes in and we can look forward to sheetrock. That will REALLY look and feel different!

We had the delightful priviledge last weekend to visit a unique in-city Paul Kirk-designed home.  It was organized by the non-profit DOCOMOMO, who do great work in conservation and documentation of historic modern buildings. http://www.docomomo-wewa.org/index.php  

The tour was a home in North Capitol Hill: the Henderson Residence. The original home on the property was a 1916 Tudor-style carriage house that the Henderson’s lived in for 20 years, until they commissioned Kirk to build a second, new structure on the site. Kirk’s design was a “Northwest interpretation of the original Tudor Revival structure”; it has a gable roof, centrally organized massing, and a post and beam structure.  But there the resemblance ends.

The house is a modest (about 2300 sf) but lovely modernist design with a decidedly Japanese influence, making for a distinct Northwest style of modernism. This is what interested me the most, as I’m always pursuing a deeper understanding of what makes for a uniquely Northwest style in contemporary architecture!

The exterior of the house is very simply organized – almost agricultural in form – employing natural wood siding and shingles, which give it a definite northwest feel while defining the simple forms so elegantly. Windows are arranged and detailed in a pattern resembling Japanese shoji panels – hinting at the interior to be found inside.

Inside, the house is astoundingly rich in its visual complexity. The detailing is simple: expression of wood timber connections is basic. But Kirk laid out his structure in a panelized system that springs from Japanese folk architecture, and allows for a large, open  interior space to divide itself into varying sized rooms. He even hangs a long series of shoji screen from one of the dominant structural beams, enabling great flexibity in closing or opening spaces one from another. The massive central fireplace floats in the middle of the great space, but allows vistas through and around it, again reducing a large space into more comfortably-sized areas of use.

 This Japanese influence is, I think, what is so unique about Northwest Modernism. (You don’t see it anywhere else; probably because of our relative proximity to Japanese culture.)  Modernist architecture can be severe and unyielding to human needs, and doesn’t include natural materials in its palette. For this reason, I think many people steer away from modernist architecture; it’s labeled “cold” or “austere” for these reasons. The Henderson Residence, on the other hand, with its palette of heavy timbers, wood trim panel systems, and exposed structure opening up to create clerestory light wells, creates a dwelling that is rich and warm and light-filled and inviting, yet spacious and clearly organized, and very modern!  Northwest Modernism at its best!

There’s been lots of impressive progress as construction started last October on this new home in the San Juan Islands. The roof is on! And windows have arrived!

The owners can move around inside and really get a feel for the volumes of spaces throughout their new house; we’re happy to hear there aren’t any surprises.

Ordering the windows is always a little stressful; there are so many details to attend to, and the order comprises a huge portion of the overall budget…not to mention the “island factor”…mistakes can really impact the schedule. But things are moving along well. We’ll be doing an electrical walk-through in no time! Stay tuned for further updates on this very exciting process!

One of the most fun parts of my interior design work is when it comes time to select paint colors. Usually this starts out as a time of terror for our clients, but they soon realize that color is an opportunity for great creativity and self-expression.

So how do you start?!

Instead of thinking about color right away, think about how you want to feel in your home. Color affects how you feel in a very direct way; a space can promote calm and peace, boisterous laughter and rowdiness, restraint and orderliness….on and on. SO if, say, you want a dining room Where your guests laugh a lot, stay late, and enjoy telling stories over good wine, you might lean towards brighter, bolder colors that vibrate with each other. Happy colors!

Putting together the palette of colors for the entire house is critical. All the colors must work together, whether they are in the same rooms or not; this creates the continuity within a home that is so important.

A great way to jump-start your palette is to browse interiors magazines and look for carpet ads. Find a carpet whose colors you like, and then look closely at the colors that are within that design. Often you’ll find a surprising number of shades, including accent colors you’d never thought of!

Another great source for color inspiration is literature or websites of the major paint companies. each year these companies come out with new palettes: combinations of colors that work beautifully together. And you’ll see that each of these palettes has a “mood”….which is what I was describing initially….that feeling you want to create in your home.

One last tip for color: as Seattle architects, we are very aware of the grey, often diffused quality of light. So interior colors can be a critical tool in warming up an otherwise cool, darker natural light. Exercise caution in using dark, saturated colors throughout your home. It can feel oppressive very quickly.

Think of color in the same way you choose what clothes you put on for the day ahead…often your mood dictates what you reach for. Have fun!

Most older homes consist of separate, contained rooms, and often have rooms that are under-used (like that big old living room or dining room that’s totally disconnected from the rest of the house!). Today’s lifestyle calls for connectedness and openness in our living spaces. So in the quest for extra room we usually tear out walls and rearrange room functions in a new way, and can often create the spaces desired without adding any square footage.

The driving philosophy here: smaller is smarter. In some cases, you don’t really need more space…you just need what you’ve got to work better! It’s a win-win situation: Smart design gets you all you need, without the baggage of a bigger house. Less cost, less maintenance, more sustainable, more yard! There are some tricks to this approach though. Spaces should serve dual functions; since every inch counts, smart storage details are essential; and to make a home feel expansive, connection to the outdoors is critical. There are many more tricks – these are just the basics.

There are some really good websites/publications that speak to this directly. The master of living less large is Sarah Susanka. Her books are fantastic, but check out her website: http://www.notsobighouse.com/ And of course Dwell Magazine always inspires us! www.dwell.com