Olympia Washington Farmhouse Studies

2019 Unbuilt.

TBS was Design Consultant for a retired couple’s home on an organic farm owned by their family members near Olympia Washington. The Owners share American and Japanese ancestry and have most recently lived in Japan. The design is meant to recall Japanese traditional motifs while providing the amenities of modern construction suited to the local climate. The house features a traditional Japanese 4 1/2 tatami mat room with a view to a small protected private garden, a cedar bathing tub also with a view of the garden, and an outer zone of engawa porch wrapped around the primary living space. The low pitched roof with wide overhangs and sliding shutters provide optimal sun control while maintaining views across the farm fields to an old barn in the distance. Multiple design options were explored with hand drawings and are illustrated in the views below.