South Whidbey Residence

Project Title: South Whidbey Residence
Landscape Architect: Berger Partnership
Category: Residential Design
Location: Whidbey Island, WA
Description:
The clients, a wildlife photographer and a blacksmith, relocated to this wooded 80-acre waterfront site on the southwest corner of Whidbey Island, a 20-minute ferry ride north of Seattle. They placed the majority of the site in a permanent conservation easement and retained an acre to build a 2,000-square-foot main house, guest cabin and workshop. They situated their home in a location that is not readily visible from the water, with the philosophy that that if they wanted to experience the water’s edge, they could walk out there rather than mar the view of this undeveloped piece of the island for others. As a result, the home sits several hundred yards from the edge of the bluff at the interface between forest and meadow. Subtle grading and vegetated roofs create the impression of being immersed in the landscape on the forest side, while open and expansive on the water side. The result is a thoughtful and beautifully crafted home that feels as if it grew out of the site.

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