Maintaining the small footprint of a house from the 1940s, a multifunctional studio was added along the back street of the structure. The resulting space formed a private terrace open to the sky. The urbanism of this patio tripled the useful surface of the site, erasing the dividing lines between the interior and exterior spaces. A silk tree provides mottled shade in summer. The illusion of a much larger property is created through the “borrowed landscape” of adjacent trees and open sky.
Inspired by the ancient Chinese courtyard facing south, the central paved terrace is a private protected area for eating, having fun, resting and playing all year round.
The project was completed in 2018 by Matt Wittman and Jody Estes, both belonging to the architectural firm Wittman Estes, and is located in the Seattle, Washington area of the United States.
Future uses include guest visits, short-term rental space, utility space / workshop and play space for the main house.
A pavilion roof, floating on volumes that house storage, bathroom, laundry and future kitchen, extends to form a garage space and outdoor workshop.
The interstitial areas between the study and the exterior are defined by masonry walls, covered with wood and protected from the weather by large pavilion ceilings.
