BACKYARD HOUSE | SHED Architecture & Design

Backyard House, located in a central Seattle neighborhood, is a speculative infill development that takes its name from its site—the subdivided backyard of an existing single family house. The new structure is situated on the western half of the lot on the edge of a bluff and reached via a driveway that runs through the side yard of the existing house. A mandated parking area that accommodates two cars and common infrastructure such as garbage, recycling and exterior storage creates a buffer between the houses.

The wood framed structure on concrete slab foundation contains living spaces, a small office, 3 bedrooms, and 2.5 baths on two floors totaling 1960 SF. The stacked stair continues to the roof level where a storage attic and roof terrace is located. The house provides basic amenities such as clear room planning with access to light, ample storage, and spaces that accommodate basic furniture layouts. Program elements were added or combined in small ways to improve use and function, including a large laundry zone in the second bathroom and an entry bench and mail/ phone counter at the main entry. The result is a compact and efficient house that feels generous and integrated with its site and surroundings.

At the ground floor a series of platforms step down through the interior to define distinct program elements and then re-emerge from the house as a terrace at the edge of the bluff. The intent was to enable inhabitants to experience the topography and for space to flow organically down through the building and its compact site. To define enclosure on these platforms, wall planes and infill glazing are organized to create a sense of both prospect and refuge within the house and site, as well as maximizing access to light in all rooms. A large kitchen window and porch engage the street, and floor to ceiling glazing in the dining and living rooms opens to the western terrace and to the view. Primary walls extend beyond the glazing to focus views and extend the threshold between inside and out. Walls, openings and platforms combine to create interconnected spaces that are open and protected, expansive and secluded.