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A Modern Marvel Rises Above Puget Sound

Brian gives us an update on the construction in progress at out Modern Cantilevered Residence project, rising up with a spectacular view of Puget Sound.

Brian Baker is a Senior Associate and architect at Board & Vellum, an architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture firm in Seattle, Washington.
Brian Baker
August 12, 2014
Renderings

Here at Board & Vellum we are very excited to share some construction progress photos of our Modern Cantilevered Residence project.  The house rises above Puget Sound on a steeply sloping hillside looking out at Bainbridge Island and Port Madison beyond.  Possessing some of the most breathtaking views in Seattle this project’s site represents one of the most beautiful and challenging that we've ever had the chance to work on.

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The City of Seattle identifies the risks involved with developing a property like this through their Environmentally Critical Areas policy, so permitting and construction on sites like this are highly regulated.  This residence specifically required a coordinated effort between the architect, geotechnical engineer, and structural engineer to design a sound structure that would satisfy the city’s requirements.

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Fortunately, we are working with the fine folks at GeoEngineers, Inc. and Swenson Say Faget structural engineers.  The resulting design is a symphony of concrete and steel that clings to the hillside through a system of auger-cast cast piles drilled to a depth of 40’ below the basement slab.  As an architect, this is one of the most fascinating phases of construction when all of the muscular structural elements are being installed and remain exposed.  The elegant resolution of gravity and lateral forces is legible through the tangles of steel reinforcing bar and cast-in steel connector plates.

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Stay tuned for more photos as the construction continues.  Steel beams are up next...

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