ChiaroScuro – Sunset Hill in Washington By Studio Ectypos

Editor’s note: Please welcome our newest contributor — Joel Pirela of Blue Ant Studio! Joel will be posting his awesome architecture finds. To learn more about Joel, see our About page.

ChiaroScuro – Sunset Hill, Seattle, WA By Studio Ectypos
chi – a – ro – scu – ro , n., pl. -ros
2. Painting. the use of deep variations in and subtle gradations of light and shade, esp. to enhance the delineation of character and for general dramatic effect. from Webster’s College Dictionary

A live-work residence designed for an interior designer and a modern abstract painter. The pictorial name of the project was dictated by the orientation of the house and the way it modulates, softens and fragments the intense western light. The view toward Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula is free from structural impediments with dramatic openings while the east side is more solid and private. A system of exposed concrete mass walls and steel frames constitute the bones of the project. The massing is composed of volumes stepping down from north to south in terraces. Trellises and green roofs cradle the upper floor and master suite in a private and dramatic setting. From the structural skeleton to the smallest detail everything is a clear continuity between idea and material.