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Photos by Benj Drummond
An Isabella Ridge escape Form meets function in Twisp home BY S A NDR A S T RIEBY
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uilt in 2022, the Isabella Ridge Escape house is home to two ardent recreationists who embraced life in the Methow Valley after exploring a number of small towns.
After visiting for years, Tim and Jess got serious about building in the Methow in 2018, drawn in part by residents’ commitment to community. They bought a lot in Twisp’s School Hill neighborhood, then delayed building due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The owners had a clear idea of what they wanted: an energy-efficient, fire-safe house that would be inexpensive to build and would take
Methow Home 2025
advantage of the site’s stunning views. Overall aesthetics were important, too, and the shed-roof style that distinguishes many modern houses appealed to them, said Tim. As an active couple, both working from home, Tim and Jess also wanted their house to include work spaces and easily-accessible storage for outdoor gear. The owners engaged CAST Architecture to develop a design that would meet their criteria, working with architect and long-time friend Tim Hammer.
Design for multiple objectives Hammer designed a house centered on a great room — a single open space with distinct kitchen, dining, and living areas delineated by an island, light fixtures, and furnishings.
Graceful and well-proportioned, the space invites gathering and provides opportunities for residents and guests to enjoy separate conversations and yet “not feel cloistered,” said Tim. With generous windows and sliding glass doors facing north and south, it takes advantage of views toward Isabella Ridge and maximizes solar gain in winter. The doors also let the house open to patios on the house’s north and south sides, visually enlarging the great room and creating outdoor spaces that are comfortable for sitting year-round. Along the great room’s south side, a lowered ceiling accommodates ductwork and lighting, and further defines space, subtly indicating a passage to the private quarters beyond.
The house’s orientation, with its long axis running from east to west, works with radiant-heat floors and a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) to keep the house comfortably warm even on cold winter days. HRV systems expel stale air and excess moisture while retaining heat to reduce energy demands while keeping indoor temperatures stable. An added Life Breath filter helps Tim and Jess’s system deal with smoke during fire season. Between the great room and the front door, a gear room just off the entry gives easy access to outdoor equipment, and doubles as Tim’s office. Also in that area are a bathroom, and a utility room housing mechanical systems, laundry machines, and overflow pantry storage. The house’s sleeping quarters
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