STAIR CASE STUDY SITE
Seattle

This property, only fifty feet in width, drops more than one hundred vertical feet from the street to the lakeshore below. There were two challenges of particular interest: how does one provide a viable pedestrian connection on a 30 percent slope 350 feet in length, and how can functional outdoor rooms be developed on such a steep and narrow site? An even greater challenge: how does one make these things not only functional, but interesting, even delightful. Significant geotechnical stabilization issues, and a history of landslides, added to the puzzle.

Construction photos reveal one aspect of the solution – working with architects Hutchison-Maul, and geotechnical and structural engineers, the upper portion of the site was benched using soldier pile walls. Resulting terraces became floor levels for portions of each building and its courtyards. The pile walls were covered with structural concrete to form exterior garden walls – a series of digital cliffs, hanging gardens, and man-made canyons. This approach was used for all three buildings on the site, the garage, main house, and beach house.

Approaching the auto court from the street one sees a spring box and a water runnel which conveys the sound of falling water as it disappears through a slot in the concrete parapet. Rounding the spring box one descends an exterior staircase and crosses a larger pool of water at the base of a small waterfall; this water also disappears through a slot in the wall. Traversing a hanging garden, one crosses a bridge toward the main house; it is at this point that one can see a hidden courtyard, larger waterfall and pool below.

The connection on the steep slope between the main house and the beach house was designed at the recommendation of Alchemie as an ephemeral floating metal stair – like a dragonfly wing – which hovers above the pine-clad hillside, and aligns with the dock below. This “dragonfly wing” passes through the top of the lowest concrete cliff and descends into the lower spring box garden where water emerges from the base of the cliff, flows down a staircase runnel into a reflecting pool, and (seemingly) on into the lake.