NE Seattle Rebuild

Residential design — reconstruction — reuse — green design

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

This newly rebuilt home was designed as a flexible forever home for a young family, supporting their busy daily rhythms and adapting as their children grow. The layout encourages easy connection between different zones and spaces flow naturally between shared and private areas. The kitchen sits at the core, anchored by a generous island for family meals and casual gatherings. Ample storage keeps everything organized, while the adjacent dining room, surrounded by windows on three sides, brings in daylight, making meals feel special.

The living room opens directly to a covered deck with skylights overhead, extending the living space outdoors year-round. A feature wall defines the living area, visually linking it to the open staircase and the kitchen beyond, allowing conversations and light to pass easily between spaces. The staircase itself is designed as both a circulation path and a display element, with open risers that keep the interior bright, cubbies for special objects, and skylights that wash the space in natural light. At the top of the stair, a “snug” provides a flexible retreat—a built-in desk for focused work, shelves for books, and a reading nook.

The exterior blends durability and craft, with a mix of shou sugi ban charred wood siding, artisan fiber cement in a vertical pattern, and crisp white brick, giving the home a timeless yet modern character. An extensive rooftop solar array powers the home sustainably, supporting the family’s long-term vision for efficient, low-impact living. Thoughtfully designed and richly detailed, the house is built to foster connection and grow with the family.

Green Design: Reuse - captured embodied carbon in existing foundation and basement walls, PV panels, high-efficiency heat pump heating/cooling systems, high-efficiency HRV system, high-efficiency water heating, electric car charging station, whole house battery backup, daylighting, LED recessed lighting

Photography: Cleary O’Farrell