MA+DS Modern Home Tours returns to the Pacific Northwest with the Seattle tour, slated for next Saturday, April 29. The tour will feature 8 homes through the city that offer their own take on “modern.”
In the Madison Park neighborhood, we’ll take a look inside the home ofMark Wilson and Gloria Andrade, who are responsible for the design as well. This contemporary residence shows how straightforward and efficient design can translate into a home that is inviting, functional, and cozy.
We sat down with Mark and Gloria to discuss the challenges of designing one’s own home and their vision of modern for which tour-goers should keep an eye out.
Q&A w/ Mark Wilson and Gloria Andrade
What are some unique challenges when it comes to designing your own home?
Staying on budget is a challenge. One has to be able to produce great architecture but still have some restraint.
Getting a building permit from the Seattle was also a challenge. The weak building soil that was discovered with initial tests created a big issue with the city and additional soil tests needed to be performed. The geotechnical report indicated that the foundation had to go deeper to provide support to the structure of the house. The structural report determined that the concrete walls should be 8 1/2′ deep. Because of this requirement, we decided to add a basement to our house design.
We wanted to create timeless architecture with lasting value while still having it suit our particular needs. This created many challenges in itself.
What were you major design priorities, and how does the concept of the home address these?
Our priorities were to create a pleasant interior and exterior space that has natural light and landscaping. The interior garden is pivotal – all rooms embrace the beauty of the outdoors all year long. Passive design strategies were considered in the design to take advantage of the orientation, daylighting, natural cross ventilation and solar energy to maintain a comfortable temperature range in the home and to provide energy efficiency. The floorplan maximizes the use of space while simultaneously creating transparency to provide the home with maximum sunlight.
What are five adjectives you’d use to describe your home?
Inviting, functional, peaceful, delightful, cozy.
How does this home embody your version of “modern”? How does this fit in with a larger Seattle or Pacific Northwest take on modern?
The design of this house is straightforward and efficient. The interior rooms were designed to be spacious and filled with light to give the furniture, textures, and materials some breathing room. The abundance of natural light adds to the ambiance of the space as well, helping it feel warm and cozy rather than cold and sterile.
Typically, Northwest House Plans use spaces effectively. Their interior designs feature open spaces, connecting the kitchen with the family and dining spaces of the house plan.
What are a few features of the home that tour-goers should be sure to keep an eye out for?
Standing in the home’s entry, the design is an open plan with the patio at its core. The patio was designed and landscaped in a way that its colors and materials blended together to create a dialogue between the interior and exterior spaces. The home celebrates its southern exposure, allowing the natural light to penetrate through the large windows to moderate the indoor temperature in this climate. We wanted a place where we could sit all year-round.
The fountain is an interesting and beautiful feature in the landscape. Built in concrete and steel, and surrounded by plants and trees, it brings harmony to the private garden.
Directly across from the house’s entry, we designed a small, reflecting pool with a sculpture by artist Lawrence Mclaughlin as main focal point.
Throughout the house there are windows of different shapes and sizes that serve to frame exterior views and seasonal vegetation, and once again allow natural light to penetrate into the interior spaces.
Got your tickets to the 2017 Seattle MA+DS Modern Home Tour? Get them here!
