We’re very excited to introduce our Lincoln Bluff Residence – a new custom home in Eastern Washington.

It’s a unique house for a unique site and we’ve been hard at work designing it. We’re finally taking the time to organize our thoughts and share progress with you. Hope you enjoy!

Follow along as we walk you through Part 1 of our custom home design process sharing the pre-design and concept design process of our Lincoln Bluff Residence.

The Site and the Prompt

The project site is on 15 acres of land in eastern Washington. The views are breathtaking. It’s quiet, remote, and peaceful with wild game roaming the land. The landscape is rugged and the weather is extreme. Large snowstorms knock out power for weeks at a time and wildfires threaten in the summer months.

Aerial view

The project is a new single-family home perched high on a rocky bluff.

The design prompt: something modern, yet rustic – a structure that integrated with the site and showcased the big view to the north but that was also able to withstand the elements.

Our clients came to us with ideas. In fact, they had worked with a different architect prior to working with us on a design that ultimately just didn’t excite them.  So for this go around, they desired a more collaborative process that would result in a design that they helped to create and that they could be proud of.

Pre-Design (Discovery) Phase

We began our custom home design process with a Pre-Design phase that helped us really understand our clients and their site. The client questionnaire provided qualitative information that spoke to the essence of what they wanted. Summarized in a 2-page document, we outlined the goals and objectives for the project and spoke to the design challenge we aimed to solve.

Project Brief

One important defining moment in this discovery phase was a discussion about terminology. Learning how our clients defined certain words greatly influenced our understanding of what they wanted for their project. We knew that they sought a “high-performing” “energy-efficient home”, but what exactly did they mean by those words”? Those words mean different things to different people.

Language is important.

To them, “high-performance” meant durable, long-lasting, and quality construction. It also meant that the walls and roof should have a high thermal performance to withstand the harsh environment – hot summers and cold winters – because to them, lower operating costs/utility bills was important. From that conversation, we understood that they wanted a well-insulated home but, but not one that was super-insulated. This was one thing we learned that caused some rift with the previous designer who designed to Passive Haus standards.

We also knew the site would play a huge part in the design so we spent a lot of time learning about the topography, the views, and the physical constraints of the land. For this, we relied on site photos, drone images, videos, detailed aerial site maps, and our own first-hand observations. At some point in the past, there was a previous house on the property which occupied the only semi-flat area on the lot. This location also happened to offer the best views, so it made sense to locate the house here.

Site photos

One of the goals of the project was to make sure the house and property were self-sufficient, at least to the extent that they could operate on their own for short periods of time during freak snowstorms.

In addition to honing in on the exact location of the house, we made sure to account for locations of an emergency generator, propane tank, well house, fire pump, and septic system during our site analysis.

Site Analysis & Site Color Palette

Programmatic massing / Space schematics

After understanding all that we could about the clients, the project requirements and the site, we started to think conceptually about how to maximize views and connect with the landscape while meeting all the program requirements.

When designing with a view, figuring out which spaces should have the big views, which should have the small views, and which should access to the outdoors is something we strove to solve early on.

Our early programmatic diagrams (grouping spaces according to public, private, and garage) resulted in three massing studies:

Garage components are almost always stubbornly difficult to integrate into a design. They need to be a specific size (to fit the vehicles) and have access from the driveway with ample turn around space. As a result, these constraints almost always set the location of a garage. Unfortunately, it hardly ever is in the place you really want it (out of sight), so finding a way to integrate it into any project is difficult.

Because there is nearly a 200-degree view, we oriented the house towards the primary view and gave the garage the secondary view (although all views are amazing). This also resulted in the garage being directly in line with the approaching driveway for easy access.

Concept Design Phase

Our actual design process begins with us pulling together everything we’ve learned up to this point and experimenting with ideas. We incorporate what we’ve learned about the site and test out different spatial layouts and rearrange certain elements based on the contours of the land. We also look at various roof profiles and footprints. And in general, we get a feel for what is starting to work and not work. As we study different configurations and stylistic ideas we learn what is possible, which typically triggers some really great ideas.

In thinking about the entry sequence, about the views, and about how our clients wanted to organize spaces, we discussed with our clients how each of the above massing studies may turn into viable floor plans and concepts.

In addition, some important themes kept creeping into our conversation. These themes became defining parts of the design:

1. Stacked bedrooms for age-in-place living: Our clients wanted a master bedroom on the second floor for the higher views. They also wanted an age-in-place ready bedroom on the ground floor for later years. To keep an efficient layout, stacking bedrooms made the most sense.
2. Large sweeping decks and patios to provide opportunities for outdoor enjoyment: This is a given when you have a view. BUT, here’s a good, but peculiar requirement: the main deck needed to be elevated with NO stairs to the ground. OK, seems doable… but here’s the reason:  This is rattlesnake country! Our clients wanted to be able to enjoy their deck without the worry of a rattler nearby. Yikes! 
3. Mono-sloped roofs: Our clients appreciate the simplicity and practicality of single pitched roofs. They drain easily to one side for easy rainwater control. They’re easy to construct. And they help direct your line of sight to the views when pitched upwards.

Conceptual Sketches

With these underlying themes, we went to work creating floor plan ideas and concepts to review with our client. In our concept design meeting, we reviewed four design schemes and discussed what we liked and disliked about each one. It was a great conversation resulting in a tough decision on which direction to go in.

Concept Design scheme 1

Concept Design scheme 2

Concept Design scheme 3

Concept Design scheme 4

The Preferred Design Scheme

In the end, our clients chose Concept Design Scheme 3 with 3 distinct volumes of space perpendicular to the main view. They particularly liked the breezeway idea and the opportunity to create a glass connector between main house and garage that could serve as the main entry to the house.

Conceptual floor plans

Entry Approach

For this project, the entry was particularly important because it has such a great view. We studied this in great detail and offer our thoughts in a recent post on Entry Sequences: Designing an Entry With a View.

Here, we sought to explore the “conceal, then reveal approach”.

As we studied the driveway approach from the main road, you climb a steep hill with rocks and trees surrounding you. It’s not until you reach the top of the bluff, turn to the right and make a slow descent between two large rock outcroppings do you see the big view straight ahead of you.

These photos show the driveway approach. Notice from the first photo that you can’t see the view until you pass between two large rock outcroppings and decend to a small plataeu.

Driveway Approach Sequence

With an entry sequence that conceals the view and then reveals it suddenly, you HAVE to take advantage of the opportunity and do something great with the entry. So we decided we want to surprise and delight the visitor. By keeping most of the house solid facing the driveway, we’re concealing the view on the approach. EXCEPT, at the all-glass entry. This is where we’re surprising the visitor and revealing the amazing view that’s just beyond the glass. Once you see the glass entry and a glimpse of what’s beyond, you’re immediately drawn to it and through it to the amazing view.

Here are some precedent projects for this concept:

Toro Canyon Residence by ShubinDonaldson
Fishing Cabin by Carney Logan Burke Architects
Cove House by 30×40 Design Workshop

Refining the Design Concept

After selecting a preferred scheme, we went to work bringing the design to life on the computer. Prior to this, our work mostly consisted of hand sketches and some quick massing studies. Once we started to hardline the design, things started getting real. What should the roof pitch be? How far should we cantilever the decks? How big should the windows be? Where should the windows be? What materials should we use?

We had the added benefit of good solar orientation so most of our glazing faced north, away from the harsh southern and western sun. This allowed us to have more flexibility in window location and size. And since our clients wanted to maximize views to the outdoors, they wanted large windows and doors.

Conceptual design

Because the site is high on a rocky bluff, we scrutinized the topography to determine exactly how close we could build to the “edge”. We surgically and creatively arranged the house program so that the lower level footprint stayed away from the 300 ft drop-off. Above that, the floors cantilevered out to give the effect of reaching towards the view. It proved to be a tricky design challenge with some added costs, especially given the large wind loads (2.5x), but we and the clients think it’s worth it.

Here’s a drone photo of the site with the house footprint staked to show the perimeter. Talk about a drop off!

Our clients decided to get a head start by staking the site and excavating before the heavy winter weather came last November. With road restrictions all winter, they want to be able to start construction as soon as the restrictions are lifted.

One interesting thing about working with these specific clients is that they are very invested in getting the design right. Since this is their second go at it, they want to make sure it was their last. And to truly make the process collaborative, our clients informed us that they had already bought Revit (the 3D drawing software we use to model our designs) and were tinkering with it already. They really wanted to be able to spin around in the model and review it for themselves firsthand.

And admittingly, this has proven to be a great working relationship and a true collaboration. Getting feedback and input on the design in real-time and making tweaks this way is a game-changer. We’re able to upload the latest Revit model for them to review and make suggestions. This has worked great especially since we’re located so far away.

To help visualize the project better, they downloaded a Revit plug-in called Enscape that lets them walk-through a rendered version of the Revit model.  With this plug-in, they’re able to put themselves in the home and walk through the spaces to confirm it looks and feels right.

What’s next?

The concept is in a good place and is ready to move through the rest of the design phases. This is where we button up the design and make a few improvements. We’ll also start to get more serious about the floor plans, the materials, and how the house will be framed and built. We’re already working through wall sections, details, window systems, and material studies.

Our project team is also filling up with some great talent. We have a custom home builder on board to help with pre-construction coordination, as well as an engineer to help with the large spans, cantilevers, and big openings. It’s a great feeling to see everyone working towards a common goal. And best of all, everyone likes the design and the clients couldn’t be more thrilled!

We’re just getting started on this project, so stay tuned for more updates. Next up, we’ll dive into the rest of the design process. We’ll cover more on materials and finishes, detailing the rainscreen system, and nuances of the structural system (like how we’re addressing the massive wind loads imposed on the north face of the structure).

Stay tuned!