Mwworks designs floating pavilions for family retreat on Whidbey Island
Settled into the sloping landscape of a farm on Whidbey Island, Washington, this new retreat by Seattle-based mwworks is built of huckleberry basalt stone and western red cedar, and designed for a multi-generational family
On the beautifully rugged Whidbey Island, just north of Seattle, a local family with a farm were looking to expand with a new house for leisure and overflow. Many generations had grown up on the farm, and the family was only getting bigger.
The owners, their three adult children, and their teenagers, all sat down around a table with Seattle-based architects mwworks to talk summer BBQs, fishing retreats, and family gatherings on Whidbey Island. It was clear from these conversations that the new retreat needed to be flexible, durable and hard-working to meet the demands of their activities.
Yet while a modern building was certainly required, the family were also cautious about maintaining the legacy of the farm, and needed a gentle solution that was respectful of the land. Their sprawling farm encompasses an evergreen forest, a fishing pond and a set of well-weathered historic agricultural buildings, such as the ‘red barn’ and a set of chicken sheds – every square metre is embedded with memories and history.
Mwworks came up with a design for two pavilion-like structures, connected by a flowing courtyard, that sit lightly in the sloping land. Comfortable for two or 20 people, the volumes comprise a house with four bedrooms and a second house for extra grandchildren and guests. The courtyard, enclosed by a low wall of stacked local basalt stone and planted with native shrubs and ferns, is a bridging device that creates either connection or separation when needed. A volume in itself, it also allows the pavilions to meander in the landscape, creating the feeling that the architecture has been woven in between the douglas fir, hemlock and madronas on the edge of the forest.
While the house was a totally new structure, it finds ways to lift from and give back to the site through a circularity of materials. Any trees felled in the process were returned to the farm for lumber, cattle fencing or firewood, both the huckleberry basalt stone and western red cedar were sourced locally, and renewable natural materials were used at every opportunity, with low maintenance finishes that would softly age alongside the land over time.
‘The house honours both the timelessness of the forest and agricultural heritage of the site,’ says Steve Mongillo, project lead and principal at mwworks. Mongillo set up the practice alongside Eric Walter in 2007, and the honesty, materiality and richly crafted details seen at the Whidbey Island Retreat are qualities that can be seen across their other residential projects.
Inside the retreat, history becomes part of the architecture with the use of unique carved solid cedar slabs on the interior doors and walls. These handcrafted panels were made decades ago by the family patriarch, a doctor who filled his time between patients by methodically carving the designs. Mwworks responded to this memory by incorporating new solid plank cedar into the master bedroom door, as a future carving project for the owner, between his farming responsibilities.
Contributing their own personal history to the retreat, the owners became creative collaborators in the design. They also found a way to commemorate everyone else involved too, making history for future generations: ‘To the team’s surprise, when the home was completed the owner had a custom bronze plaque made to display in the house. It listed the name of every person that significantly contributed to the house design and construction, including many incredible carpenters and craftspeople. They felt intense appreciation for the people that made the house what it is. We wholehearted agree,’ says Mongillo.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
INFORMATION
Harriet Thorpe is a writer, journalist and editor covering architecture, design and culture, with particular interest in sustainability, 20th-century architecture and community. After studying History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Journalism at City University in London, she developed her interest in architecture working at Wallpaper* magazine and today contributes to Wallpaper*, The World of Interiors and Icon magazine, amongst other titles. She is author of The Sustainable City (2022, Hoxton Mini Press), a book about sustainable architecture in London, and the Modern Cambridge Map (2023, Blue Crow Media), a map of 20th-century architecture in Cambridge, the city where she grew up.
-
The Google Pixel 8a is an AI-driven ‘beginner’s smartphone’ that eclipses its pricier rivals
We get our hands on Google’s latest device, the mid-range Pixel 8a, a stripped-down smartphone that still packs an excellent camera, solid hardware and an AI-powered software punch
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
SFMOMA’s new exhibition explores the design, craft and art of noise
'Art of Noise' digs into San Francisco MOMA’s visual archives and collections to bring together audio objects and installations from around the world
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The best waterproof make-up for hot weather, as recommended by the Wallpaper* Beauty Editor
Waterproof make-up products from an immovable Chanel eyeliner to a smear-safe Dior lipstick, recommended by Wallpaper’s Beauty Editor Hannah Tindle
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
California houses: the allure of their progressive, expressive architecture
Michael Webb’s new book, ‘California Houses: Creativity in Context’, assembles 36 contemporary homes that showcase the state’s reputation as a haven for progressive residential design
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Ray Kappe's only house outside the US brings California modernism to Berlin
A passionate owner brings Ray Kappe's brand of Californian modernism to Berlin with this new residence; the architect's only home outside the USA
By Craig Kellogg Published
-
Designer Holly Waterfield creates luxurious pied-à-terre in Renzo Piano Manhattan high-rise
A private residence by Holly Waterfield Interior Design in Renzo Piano's skyscraper 565 Broome Soho blends a sense of calm and cosiness with stunning city views
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Cubitts Mercer Street in New York is a moody ‘treasure box’ of depth and drama
Cubitts Mercer Street opens in New York to a concept by London-based studio Tutto Bene, offering sleek details and moody design
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A guide to Frank Gehry's architecture: mesmerising, expressive and sometimes controversial
Canadian-American Frank Gehry has earned his position in the hall of fame of contemporary architects through a wealth of groundbreaking designs; here, we explore why, how, and his key projects
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Sunset Islands home ‘is a beauty’, says F1 legend Eddie Irvine
As the Formula One Miami Grand Prix kicks off, we tour Sunset Islands Residence by Strang Design, a Florida home for race legend Eddie Irvine
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
One Domino Square: Brooklyn’s iridescent skyscraper is an Annabelle Selldorf first
We quiz New York architect Annabelle Selldorf on One Domino Square in Williamsburg, her first residential skyscraper, with apartments going on the market today
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Pioneering Miami residences by Aston Martin aim to capture the imagination
Marek Reichman on the creation of the new Miami residences by Aston Martin, the brand’s new design showpiece
By Jonathan Bell Published