Cannot remember architect/house shown in Dwell

Can anyone help me here?

There was this house (I vaguely recall Seattle... or at least our west) that was designed by the wife/girlfried architect. her design is very industrial and had many of the themes I liked. I must be missing some of my old subscriptions, because I cannot find the article.

All I can remember are:
1) House seemed basically 3 story, because the slope it was built into was steep.
2) Blocky shape, with various proltrusions.
3) Curved roof of standing seam metal.
4) Siding: Cement fiberboard colored a pastel color??? Definitely corten plates (rectangular) bolted. Corrugated, too.
5) At least a couple commercial garage doors used as deck opening and garage... where there was a Jaguar Etype in the house/garage-like space.
6) Motorcycle parked inside.
7) Industrial prefab stairways.
8) Steel trusses for roof and floors... that were open to view flooring made of thick planks.

They started out as a couple and got married in the process I think I recall reading.

Is this the house you are thinking of by Place Architects?
[url href=http://www.placearchitects.com/projects/new/diva.htm]place architects[/url]

t.posey

I think it was in Met Home...the Diva House, if I recall.

Bingo!

Maybe it was Met Home.

Thanks!

I just happened to pull out the October 2004 issue of Metropolitan Home from my shelf the other night and saw the house you're talking about. The article was called A Jaguar Runs Through It. Architect was Heather Johnston.

Here you go:

The house is located in Seattle.

http://www.placearchitects.com/projects/new/diva.htm

John

Hi all,
I'm the architect of that house. It's kind of fun to see the conversation... can I help?
Heather
PLACE architects pllc
seattle WA

www.placearchitects.com

Heather,

Rarely have I seen a design that so fits my taste until I saw your's (i.e. industrial, steel, glass, colors, hardware).

The reason I queried was to find your firm and try to ask about the railing (another posting) you chose for that house. Michigan BC does not allow for 90% of the cool railings one always sees in magazines, so when I saw the industrial, yet simple design that was your's... I figured it was off-the-shelf. I was hoping you could share the source of the railing, but now I'm learning that it was likely custom fabricated.

I have the Met Home article and it mentioned all the products you chose that were standard in order to keep cost down... so I just figured the railing was also standard.

I tried emailing one of your colleagues, but never got a response, so I figured it might be trade secret or something.

P.S. Rhetorical question: Why is it that none of the more unique/intriguing architecture firms are in my home state of Michigan???? You folks seem to be in NY or CA or TX or WA... everywhere except... the conservative Midwest. I guess I just answered my question.

THanks,

Railing codes have gotten so restrictive that it's begun to undo the point of them at all because designers and anyone who appreciates beauty have started to look for ways around them.(Unless you love the look of vertical pickets at 4 centers).
I would never ever ever recomend anything to get around obtrusive laws so this isn't advice to be followed by anyone BUT- I've heard that some people might on occasion put in a railing of their choosen design (ie; cable rails) and afix wire mesh with zip ties in order to pass inspection. Occasionally after final inspection it coulld possibly happen that the wire mesh might somehow go away.

Not to get too far off subject, but you hit on one of the major design problems I have in architecture. Codes are so restrictive that I have trouble coming up with railings that I like. I'm not real fond of more industrial looks; I prefer wood, but like mentioned above: 4 on center pickets are totally out of proportion. I like some of the designs I've seen where the handrail is treated more like a screen than railing. It can be integrated into the rest of the architecture this way.