Suncrest Retreat, Orcas Island, WA Building Project, Yakima County Real Estate, US Architecture Photos
Suncrest Retreat on Orcas Island, Washington
July 28, 2020
Suncrest Retreat
Design: Heliotrope Architects
Location: Orcas Island, Washington, USA

photo © Sean Airhart
Suncrest is a 3,000-square-foot retreat residence is located on a 26-acre site comprised of a mature Douglas fir and Pacific madrone forest, with occasional rocky clearings and several small ponds. The clients sought a home that minimized site impacts, that utilized their favorite materials (wood and concrete), and that connected them intimately with the land and the view.

photos © Benjamin Benschneider
The home is positioned where the forest gives way to a large rocky clearing with views to the Salish Sea, a waterway straddling the United States and Canada.
photo © Sean Airhart

photo © Sean Airhart
The house is ?wrapped? around a prominent rock outcropping and carefully situated to require a minimum of tree removal.

photos © Benjamin Benschneider
The long, narrow footprint of the home allows every room a view of the sea while also retaining a strong connection to the surrounding forest. The low-slung curving form helps to nestle the house into the landscape itself.

photo © Benjamin Benschneider

photo © Benjamin Benschneider
The material palette was chosen to harmonize with the colors and textures of the natural surroundings and consists of wood from the forest (Douglas fir and madr...