Island Nest

This new modern home is nestled on the western hill of Mercer Island and positioned on the site to maximize the incredible views and light: Lake Washington and the Seattle skyline to the west, and the Bellevue skyline and Cascade Mountains to the east.

The approach for the design of the home was to separate the public spaces from the private spaces by creating two separate wings of the house: one grouping all of the private spaces — such as bedroom suites — and the other housing the cooking, playing, working, and entertaining activities where family and friends come together. These two wings are then stitched together by a central “tower” element, embellished with a steel staircase and windows from which you can capture the amazing views while transitioning between the levels of the home.

On the exterior, what appears to be a dramatic butterfly roof is actually composed of the two shed roofs of the public and private wings of the home. On one side, the roof extends with a generous overhang over a wrapping balcony, and on the other, the form and material of the standing seam metal roof turns down the wall, highlighting the acute angle at the peak. Balanced with asymmetric volumes of varied finishes, the home exudes a contemporary Pacific Northwest style in both materiality and form.