Houzz Tour: San Juan Island Retreat Built for Multiple Views
An architect designs a retired couple’s Pacific Northwest vacation home as a series of cascading boxes on a hillside
Photo by Jeff Mason
The result is a standout modern home consisting of stacked boxes atop one another, each rotated for a different view. The elevation of the home and its location in a ravine with sparse tree cover allow for expansive views stretching from Vancouver Island to the Olympic Peninsula. The couple use it to entertain biking groups and eventually hope to make it their primary residence.
Prentiss refers to the home as Cascading Boxes, for the way it appears to tumble down the hill. When choosing the site, he wanted to reflect the angular qualities of the rocky outcroppings, while avoiding having the home perched on rocks.
Prentiss found a small gully obscured with blackberry bushes that seemed like the perfect site. “Digging into this spot I found that we could nestle the house down into the gully and build up from it — this helps secure the house to the site rather than just perching on the top of it,” he says.
The result is a standout modern home consisting of stacked boxes atop one another, each rotated for a different view. The elevation of the home and its location in a ravine with sparse tree cover allow for expansive views stretching from Vancouver Island to the Olympic Peninsula. The couple use it to entertain biking groups and eventually hope to make it their primary residence.
Prentiss refers to the home as Cascading Boxes, for the way it appears to tumble down the hill. When choosing the site, he wanted to reflect the angular qualities of the rocky outcroppings, while avoiding having the home perched on rocks.
Prentiss found a small gully obscured with blackberry bushes that seemed like the perfect site. “Digging into this spot I found that we could nestle the house down into the gully and build up from it — this helps secure the house to the site rather than just perching on the top of it,” he says.
This cross-section diagram shows the location of living spaces in each of the structures, from the below-ground level where the master suite is found to the top floor’s art studio.
Each of the home’s boxes takes advantage of a different view: One faces Victoria, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island; another the Olympic Mountains; a third the northern shoreline; and the last the Strait of Georgia.
“We could have made it all be one space with one sweeping view, but it is more exciting to have each section focus on a different aspect,” Prentiss says.
“We could have made it all be one space with one sweeping view, but it is more exciting to have each section focus on a different aspect,” Prentiss says.
Horizontal windows let in light and provide specific views from each cascading structure. Native grasses on each roof get enough water naturally and require no additional irrigation. Shown here is the side of the home’s main level and the living roof of the lowest level.
The front entry is constructed of cedar to contrast with the home’s darker cypress shou sugi ban siding. Just inside, boulders found by the homeowners form a kind of sculpture at the base of the stairs.
Door: Dynamic Architectural Windows & Doors; door hardware: Mormont, Emtek
Door: Dynamic Architectural Windows & Doors; door hardware: Mormont, Emtek
Here’s another view from the entry area past the rocks into the kitchen.
The main level, located in the second box from the bottom, contains the open-concept living room and dining area, with a spectacular view of the water through sliding glass doors that lead to the living roof atop the lower level. The stairway on the right leads to the lower level, where the master suite is located.
Wood-burning stove: RAIS Malta; dining table: Urban Hardwoods; dining chairs: Hiroshima by Maruni
Wood-burning stove: RAIS Malta; dining table: Urban Hardwoods; dining chairs: Hiroshima by Maruni
Here’s a closer look at the mod lacquered-glass pendant lights over the dining table.
Pendant lights: Chouchin, Foscarini
Pendant lights: Chouchin, Foscarini
Horizontal shelving complements the horizontal windows in the adjacent reading nook. Wood floors throughout the home are ash with a clear matte finish.
Here’s a closer view of the cozy reading nook on the first floor, anchored by two leather club chairs.
Chairs: Hayek’s Leather Furniture
Chairs: Hayek’s Leather Furniture
American ash cabinets with a satin finish, stainless steel appliances and quartz countertops contribute to the open kitchen’s sleek look. Additional cabinetry hangs over the island.
Prentiss says one challenge was the choice of wood throughout the home. “There was the issue of finding a wood that was sufficiently light and neutral in color and pattern that could be used for both flooring and cabinetry,” he says.
Main countertop, Pebble, Caesarstone; island countertop: Titanium, Caesarstone; range: BlueStar; range hood: Tempest I, Zephyr; sink: Diamond, Silgranit Blanco; refrigerator: Architect Series II, KitchenAid
Prentiss says one challenge was the choice of wood throughout the home. “There was the issue of finding a wood that was sufficiently light and neutral in color and pattern that could be used for both flooring and cabinetry,” he says.
Main countertop, Pebble, Caesarstone; island countertop: Titanium, Caesarstone; range: BlueStar; range hood: Tempest I, Zephyr; sink: Diamond, Silgranit Blanco; refrigerator: Architect Series II, KitchenAid
A studio perched on the top level has awe-inspiring views across the water toward the Olympic Peninsula. Glass lift-and-slide doors lead to the green roof, similar to the other levels. The stairway leads to a guest suite on the third floor.
The master suite is tucked into the space below ground level. Shown here is the master bathroom with large-scale tile, sleek fixtures and an apple-green quartz countertop on the vanity.
Vanity countertop: Apple Martini, Caesarstone; toilet, sink and plumbing fixtures: Kohler; towel bar and grab bar: Kartners
Vanity countertop: Apple Martini, Caesarstone; toilet, sink and plumbing fixtures: Kohler; towel bar and grab bar: Kartners
Here’s a look at the end plane of the three above-ground levels. The door leads to a storage area.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple with two grown daughters use it as a vacation home
Location: San Juan Island, Washington
Size: 3,612 square feet (336 square meters); two bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
Architect: Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects
For 35 years, a couple from Olympia, Washington, vacationed with their two daughters on their 4 acres of land on San Juan Island, located between mainland Washington State and Vancouver Island. The family “camped” in a modest structure that had no running water, insulation or indoor bathroom, says architect Geoffrey T. Prentiss, whom the family contacted when they wanted a vacation home upgrade.
Prentiss, a fifth-generation island resident, has been doing work on the island for 30 years and knows the challenges and rewards of designing a home on the hilly, tree-covered Pacific Northwest terrain. The homeowners were seeking a home to connect with the landscape and the island’s amazing views. Prentiss encouraged them to abandon the converted garage they’d been camping in for three decades.
“The choice was to remodel the existing structure, tear down the existing and rebuild on the same spot or to build in a new location on the 4 acres. It was my recommendation to do the latter.”