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Mount St. Helens, 40 Years On
April | May 2020
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volume 20
On May 18, 1980, Washington’s skyline changed drastically. Mount St. Helens’ eruption captivated the world, killed dozens, and altered a landscape forever. But forty years later, the area around Mount St. Helens is reborn, and scientists use it as a living research facility. (pg. 58)
Scott Minner
Now and Then
U.S. Geological Survey
Will Austin
Will Austin
home + design
30 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE
the Kahlstroms can sweat it out on even the coldest, grayest days. Now no matter the season, the backyard beckons, whether for a quick post-work sauna session, or just to pause inside the house and appreciate how the entire scene is lit up at night, looking serene and peaceful, the water feature singing. “It’s my favorite spot in the whole house now,” Kahlstrom said. “I feel like I’m at a fancy spa.”
Seattle: A Sunken Courtyard for Easy Entertaining When Bridget Rodden first toured her house in the Laurelhurst neighborhood in Seattle, she liked how the traditional shingled exterior contained an open and contemporary layout, with sliding glass doors in the kitchen and dining room that led onto a rear deck. The yard beyond that, however, was another matter. The entire lot had more than 40 feet of grade change, with no real rhyme or reason to the slope and a lot of dirt. “The house is all clean lines and very modern, but the yard was the antithesis of the inside of the house,” Rodden said. “So, when we bought it, we knew we’d have to redo the yard.” Cue the architecture and landscape design firm Wittman Estes, headed by architect Matt Wittman and landscape designer Jody Estes.
APRIL | MAY 2020
Miranda Estes
Kahlstrom said. Reikow encouraged the couple to dream even bigger. “I always have my clients make a wish list of all their desires for their yard,” Reikow said. The Kahlstroms asked for a more low-maintenance courtyard where they could relax in private, with a fire pit, water feature and sauna. Capturing the side view to Commencement Bay would be a bonus. Working with Island Rock & Water for the installation, Reikow delivered all of it. Now, a concrete retaining wall sits under cedar panels, the top inset with beaded glass. The glass keeps the fence from feeling too imposing and nods to the home’s historic era, while the wood and concrete tones meld nicely with the “retro-green color” of the house’s siding. A gas fire pit, its exterior covered in the salvaged sandstone, sits at the upper level where it’s sheltered from the wind by the house. A water feature fabricated from steel and dotted with plants runs from the fire pit, cascading down to a streamlined seating area. “I really like how there are different ‘rooms,’” Reikow said. “But the water feature connects both of them.” A Dutch door at the side access enables the couple to keep dogs and kids inside the yard, yet the top can be opened to appreciate water views. The pièce de résistance is the custom sauna built by Reikow’s woodworker husband, neatly tucked around the corner so
Miranda Estes
FROM LEFT A Dutch door captures a view of Commencement Bay. A sauna brings the spa home.
home + design
FROM TOP This Seattle home’s courtyard features a modern aesthetic. The landscaping requires little upkeep.
When Rodden found the firm’s portfolio online, she was drawn to its clean-lined, modern aesthetic and thought it would mesh well with the house. The firm’s design, executed by contractor Terrain Build, does just that. “The main vision for the project was a series of interconnected outdoor terraces that are all woven together,” Wittman said. This starts at the front sidewalk. From there, steel and concrete steps with wide landings rise to the front door, the path accented by a custom steel mailbox and house number display, as well as 3-foot-tall steel planters brimming with grasses. Around back, the focal point is a sunken courtyard set into the hillside, framed by a carbon-steel retaining wall with a rich natural patina and a hardwood privacy screen. Ipe and steel steps then climb the rise from there, in order to link the courtyard to a more secluded upper area with a hammock, which has views of Lake Washington. “They wanted a place where they could gather with friends,” Estes said, “and also something that could be more private and just one person would use.” The designers maintained a tight materials palette of steel, concrete and wood, which keeps the look cohesive throughout the
property, and “felt modern, but also very warm and inviting,” Wittman said. They juxtaposed these with lush, textural plantings that have the occasional pop of color, like golden Japanese forest grass and orange-hued vine maple, and which appeal year-round. “Even when the leaves are brown, it still looks good,” Estes said. Rodden also likes that the landscape only requires light pruning, little water, and is not so precious that the family dog can’t run through. For the courtyard setup, a low-slung, cantilevered Ipe bench wraps around a custom fire pit. The designers opted for cushions from local fabricator La Fabrique, and cleverly varied the seat depths to provide a variety of seating options. Really, it’s big enough to accommodate at least a dozen people. “It’s a very social garden,” Wittman said. “They wanted the landscape to be lived in.” Rodden finds that easy to do, whether hosting a dinner party with friends and enjoying cocktails by the fire, or having a Saturday afternoon lie-down with a good book. “It’s a great place to sit out and read,” Rodden said. “It’s very quiet. There’s a great feeling of being outside, but in a private space in the middle of the city.”
APRIL | MAY 2020
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WORK PLACE WONDERS If you have to spend a chunk of your life working, it might as well be in a beautiful office space written by Melissa Dalton The average person spends 90,000 hours of life at work, so it’s important to get the design right. The best workplaces
respond to their natural setting or neighborhood, and balance employee needs for natural light, comfort and connection. Here are four workplaces in four different industries around the state.
Kevin Scott
Washington Fruit & Produce transformed an industrial site into a beautiful oasis.
APRIL | MAY 2020
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