A Minimalist House Designed for a Couple Desiring a Downsize

When a couple in Seattle decided to pare down and simplify their lifestyle, they hired Suyama Peterson Deguchi to design a minimalist house that still felt like home but without all of the excess. The Junsei House offers the homeowners a retreat from the hustle of everyday life with its tree-filled surroundings.

Wanting to respect the landscape, they built a modest home with a minimal footprint that doesn’t try to overtake its surroundings. All of the existing trees were left untouched and little digging took place so the trees’ roots would be protected. That left only a width of 18 feet and a length of 80 feet to work with.

Inside, the lush landscape is framed like art by the walls of windows giving the feeling of living in a treehouse.

The project was completed with a minimal budget that was aided with the use of lower cost materials, like raw plywood on the inside and corrugated metal siding covering the exterior. A white box that’s seen on the front of the house and continues inside contains the service components for the house, while also creating the loft space above.

Photos by Charlie Schuck.