This week, we are looking at remodeling a kitchen in a recently purchased condo in the Castlewood apartment building designed by Paul Thiry in the Eastlake neighborhood.  In doing some follow up research on this local NW architect (master architect for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, MOHAI, Frye Museum), I came across several news items about a house he designed in Normandy Park that is slated to be demolished sometime this spring if it is not moved to a new location.  It is for sale, for $1 apparently, with costs around $240k to float it by barge to a new site.  I am stunned that someone is not stepping up to protect this amazing and original example of Northwest midcentury heritage.

Thanks to Jeff McCord of Nickel Bros House Moving, Ltd and our local chapter of DOCOMOMO who have done so much to help preserve this impressive example of inspiring local talent.

Please check out the Seattle Times article, this Flickr photo set and these posts about the house and Paul Thiry himself from The Sunday Times Market.

Tragic!

Small businesses employ just over half of the country’s private sector workforce, and each of us must be the change we want to see in the world. In the spirit of helping our local economy prosper and stimulating the growth of our own small business, NEST design build is offering a savings package to our new and returning customers.

For any new contracts signed or work started in April and May 2010, save 25% on the first 100 man hours of labor.

If you or someone you know would like take advantage of this sweet, sweet (and a little sour) Spring offer, please give us a call or email us to set up a time to discuss your project.

*you know… when life gives you lemons!

What’s a Backyard Cottage, you ask? A recent change in the City of Seattle’s zoning laws allows a small separate self-contained structure to be built on the same lot as a single-family house.  A Backyard Cottage, typically with its own kitchen, bedroom(s) & bathroom(s), provides a flexible small-scale housing choice for a family with young adults or elderly family members. It can be used as a flex room, studio, home office, guest space, care-giver or nanny accommodation, and may also be used as a rental, providing homeowners with additional income.

Although there are some exceptions, the City of Seattle has imposed some rules to help ensure Cottages fit within a neighborhood.  For a more detailed explanation of the city’s requirements, check out this recent memo. The lot must be at least 4,000 square feet in area, with minimum width and depth requirements. The main house and Backyard Cottage combined must not exceed the current 35% lot coverage limit for single-family zones. Cottages can be no more than 800 square feet in area, with a 15’ – 23’ height limit depending on lot width, and parking is required. The owner must live in either the Cottage or the primary residence for at least six months of the year.

According to the AARP, about 90% of homeowners 65+ would like to remain in their homes.  With so many of the baby boomer generation retiring in the next several years, and the current real estate market what it is, NEST believes a Backyard Cottage gives the homeowner a perfect opportunity to add space and pro-actively plan for retirement and beyond.  By incorporating the principles of Universal Design, Backyard Cottages can be designed and built to accommodate changing needs over a lifetime.  And, of course, NEST believes in the use of sustainable efficient green building materials and techniques.

If you’d like to know more about Backyard Cottages, the City of Seattle Department of Planning has put together some literature for consumers.  There’s a website with lots of information and resources, as well as a brochure with useful tips on everything from design to permitting to estimating costs and financing.

Whether a Backyard Cottage, remodel or addition, NEST is ready to bridge the gap between concept and completion. Please give us a call or email to discuss how NEST design build can work with you.  Somewhere there is a project that is about to burst into full bloom!

Cathedral ceilings make the space feel bigger than it is

NEST design build created a legal ADU [Additional Dwelling Unit] in a Laurelhurst home that the homeowners rent as a luxury vacation apartment. The income-producing ADU brings passive additional income while adding value to their property through additional square footage and another full bathroom.

NEST’s goal was to design an attractive fully functioning apartment within very limited site requirements.  Converting unused available space in the existing house and building out to the property line, only 275 sq ft was added for a total of 475 sq ft. Adding an exposed aggregate patio/outdoor living room integrates the garden setting, dominated by a spectacular 70 foot Deodar cedar tree.

This Laurelhurst ADU exemplifies NEST’s commitment to finding specific solutions to particular problems, blending the client’s needs with the reality of the site’s constraints. Design, practical concerns, aesthetic choices, construction considerations, code requirements, budget, and the client’s vision – these are the sometimes conflicting elements that NEST carefully teases out into an altogether satisfying outcome.

Outdoor dining under the Deodar cedar tree

The ADU’s efficient and space-saving features include:

• Cathedral ceiling and skylight make the space feel larger and more open.
• Wall of double glazed windows with French doors to the garden provides optimal natural light and integrates indoor and outdoor spaces.
• Natural gas on-demand radiant floor heating is energy efficient and optimally comfortable.
• The on-demand Rinnai unit is discreetly hidden in a small utility room behind the moveable refrigerator.
• Fully equipped kitchen has compact stainless steel Energy Star appliances, including gas range, dishwasher, microwave oven and generous cabinets.
• Stacked washer/dryer in storage/utility closet
• Large storage space above bedroom

Compact full kitchen with oak cabinets, stainless appliances, butcherblock

Luxury features include:

• Jacuzzi bathtub with shower
• Custom stained and polished concrete floors with radiant heat
• Hand finished oak woodwork
• Custom tile work in bathroom
• Specialty paint finishes
• Private garden patio for outdoor eating/entertaining
• Off-street parking with private entrance

Jacuzzi bath, extra wide sink, custom tile work

If the property is eventually sold, the ADU can easily be re-incorporated into the main house as a second master suite, a home office suite, nanny/caregiver quarters or a self-contained apartment for elders.  The growing trend of the ‘Sandwich Generation‘ (adults caring for both their elder parents as well as their own children) will be a healthy market for houses such as this.  Meanwhile the vacation rental unit, marketed solely on the web, is fully booked.  Guests rave about this “beautiful, comfortable and efficient ‘home away from home’.

The value of this project is four-fold:  the homeowners stay in their home, get a substantial income stream, the home’s value has increased, and Seattle has a great vacation rental to offer visitors!

Some photos of construction:

Before construction

Excavation begins

Installing underfloor radiant heat before concrete slab is poured

Framing required sheer-wall supports

Installing scissor truss

Roof being installed

Old exterior wall re-purposed as exposed brick interior wall

Finished view in through 7' entry doors