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Owners Tim and Denise walked the Lowman Beach neighborhood for 10 years and always said that if something came up for sale, they would pursue it. When that opportunity came, the property featured an existing 1912 home with a footprint that wasn’t a good fit for the new owners. In keeping with their commitment to sustainable practices, the owners wanted to preserve the old structure and sold it for $1 to buyers that covered the cost of moving the home via barge across the Puget Sound to its new site (watch video here). The new owners were thrilled, and it paved the way for Tim and Denise to start building their sustainable dream home. They interviewed and hired Rhodes [...]

Thoughtful architectural lighting plays an important role in promoting wellness in the built environment. Designing around natural light is gaining awareness around the world among legislators, building owners and designers. It is now considered an integral part of sustainable building design–and it has been a key part of Rhodes Architecture + Light’s design strategy since our founding almost 30 years ago. Seattle ranks as one of the cloudiest cities in the nation, and while Vitamin D supplements populate our medicine cabinets, we still need robust natural light to feel generally well. Many of us experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is a form of depression that occurs during the same season each year, most commonly in the fall and [...]

In collaboration with you and your family an Architect is trained to think about your house in an integrated and systematic way. An Architect also brings a sixth sense for light, space, your land, and your family’s needs. Architects are trained to think deeply about “home”. They seek to reach you to unlock and learn ways you will use space, to synthesize many design influences including land, topography, environment, the neighborhood and the context that will support your house; the seasons, sunlight, wind and weather, the climate, a local design aesthetic, appropriate and contextual materials and finishes, your needs and your budget. Your search for the right Architect has led you to a person you feel you can trust [...]

How You Can Have More in Less Part I “Sustainable” is Nonsense and Smaller is “Green” Your grandparents grew up and raised your parents in a house about a third of the size of yours. They raised a family of four in it. According to the National Association of Homebuilders the average American family of 2.6 persons today lives in at least 2,687 square feet or 1,033 square feet per person. Our grandparents raised larger families in just 983 square feet (245 square feet per family member) and I grew up in an average house of 1,500 square feet in the 1970s. The most easily quantifiable reason to live in a smaller home is its inherent efficiency. Small [...]

Small Houses Big Spaces Part II Tiny houses are not small and small houses are not tiny. The tiny house movement, while illustrating a sought-after trend toward living with less encompasses single spaces in which all functions are combined. Living, dining, cooking, working at home happen together, usually in one largely undifferentiated room. All or most of the tiny house shares the same space and the same scale. Smaller houses do not mean the creation of one room in which different functions are combined, sharing the same room dimensions, ceiling heights, views or relationship between the interior and outdoor environment. Creating good small homes means carefully separating the important activities of a residence into mutually supporting spaces differentiated in [...]

How You Can Have More in Less Part III Creating thoughtful, efficient, comfortable smaller space is a process. An example from our practice is the best way to illustrate the ideas and thought that can go into creating smaller homes. We were approached by a discerning builder and his family to design a river-front cabin for four families in limited space. The building we designed has common living areas, bathrooms (some compartmentalized with separate shower/toilet rooms and common vanities with multiple sinks) a shared kitchen with multiple preparation areas and work areas, a central entry that doubles as a hall for storing coats, shoes, and gear, and four bedrooms sleeping up to twelve. The bedrooms feature private spaces for [...]

Sustainability Begins With Design Part I "Building Green” is often touted in architectural magazines and online articles as an important consideration for the eco-conscious consumer when planning a new house. Once you get beyond the glossy imagery showing beautiful houses with locally sourced materials and green roofs, you may be left asking yourself “what makes a house design truly sustainable and  what are the benefits of designing and building in this manner for the environment, my family and my pocketbook”? When executed successfully, a sustainable house will result in overall energy savings, improved occupant comfort and health, and a preservation of natural resources. By integrating proper strategies for daylighting and natural ventilation, and harnessing natural sources for heating and [...]