Modern, functional shou sugi ban clad tiny homes on wheels in the methow valley

Like some who found themselves in lockdown at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, this Seattle family of four realized if they were going to work and attend school online, they could do it from anywhere. Cue a temporary move to their summer place. A year into their stay, they decided they were putting down roots in the Methow Valley and decided to make the change permanent. Their out-of-the-box solution? The family spent the summer building a pair of tiny homes on trailers with the help of friends and local tradespeople.

CAST’s goal was simple: apply everything we’ve learned about efficient home planning to a design that would be buildable by non-professionals and legal to tow down the highway. This was a highly collaborative process as we sought a compromise between homeowner research into solutions pioneered by the DIY tiny-house community and our knowledge of modern construction best practices.

The result is a pair of elegant, flexible rooms-on-wheels clad in shou sugi ban charred-wood that are modern, warm, and ultra-functional.
Shou sugi ban is a Japanese preservation technique that burns wood to create a weather-proof finish. The charred outer of each tiny home is cypress harvested in Japan, milled, burned in a kiln, and sealed with oil. Over time, they will weather and gain a patina.

The simple pitched roof is matched by an outward tilting wall to create a playful form with extra headroom at one end for a sleeping loft (with a built-in desk below). The regular rhythm of high square windows makes the room feel much larger by illuminating the ceiling. At the entry side, floor-to-ceiling glass frames a wood stove, creating a cozy lounge space. Inside, a narrow service bar in the center will accommodate a small kitchen and a private compartment for a composting toilet.

Featured on Dwell+ ”A Family of Four Joins Hands to Build Two Tiny Homes in Washington”
More photos at: https://www.castarchitecture.com/mccarthyrekart-tiny-homes
Photos by: Benjamin Drummond Photography

Central to the name, identification and restoration of wetland habitat was central to the Rainier Beach Urban Farm & Wetlands. The location of all site improvements, including agricultural fields, buildings, roads, parking, and other farm infrastructure, was dictated by the need to not only avoid riparian zones, but to facilitate their enhancement. Rather than treating this as a limitation, our team of Landscape Architects, Architects, and Civil and Environmental Engineers used the wetlands at the center of the site as an organizing principle that strengthened the project.

Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetland

complex sites

Finding the right place to build the Icicle Creek Retreat within a 22-acre private inholding in the Wenatchee National Forest required a careful and deliberate process. CAST worked closely with a wetland biologist and a geotechnical engineer to identify a buildable site, triangulating between several types of stream and wetland buffers, geological hazard areas, location of access roads, and forest fire safety concerns. The project required both SEPA review and Conditional Use Permit approval through the Chelan County Hearings Examiner.

Icicle Creek Retreat in the Wenatchee Forest, Washington

The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Hatchery Building is located on the beach in a known archaeological site. CAST worked closely with the Tribe’s Cultural Resources team to develop an amendment to the Tribe’s Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) permit and to incorporate the resultant Monitoring and Discovery Plan (MDP) into the project specifications. Located in the intertidal zone, the design required close coordination with Structural and Geo-Technical engineers to ensure that the building will be resistant to higher tide levels predicted to occur with rising sea levels.

Rendering of Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Beach Shelter and Hatchery Building in the distance

Seattle’s urban infill

CAST is closely associated with efforts to moderate density infill within existing neighborhoods in Seattle. Working with two families in parallel, we designed a duo of townhomes near Lake Union. Considerable attention was given to how the facades were grouped, and the way color and pattern emphasized vertical proportions while keeping surfaces in scale. We stitched together spaces between five floors while accommodating the structure needed for multi-level cantilevers over the parking areas. Thoughtful window openings bring lots of natural light and privacy within this tight city lot.

Icicle Creek Retreat, Wenatchee Forest Washington

Design for snow country

The straight-forward roof of Icicle Creek Cabin is made for its environment. We kept it simple and avoided complex shapes—a roof that holds snow reduces the chance of slough off and provides an energy-saving bonus. Deep eaves and generous covered entries and walkways help keep outdoor circulation free of ice, reduce shoveling, and simplify living.

See more: Icicle Creek Cabin

Contractor: Warm Homes Construction, Aviathar Pemberton
Roofing: OJ Industries Roofing

siting the berm house in washington’s Methow valley

Bermed into a meadow, the Berm House has a low profile and opens to the valley panorama of mountains and agricultural fields. The south-facing building orientation optimizes passive heating, and the large overhang protects from snowfall and intense summer sun. The home is post and beam structure with a cross-laminated timber (CLT) roof, prefabricated in northeastern Washington. Thermal bridges are minimized by wrapping the house in continuous external insulation, including under the foundation, isolating the home from outdoor temperature swings. The bermed roof, with 12-inches of soil, adds thermal mass and protection from weather exposure.

Seattle’s university cooperative school charrette

A fact of life: community-centered work takes a long time—often five or more years—to turn projects from dream into reality. A shared vision created and owned by the stakeholders is the solid foundation that sustains the project through the inevitable challenges and transitions of this long gestation. One of the main tools we use to help develop this vision is the Community Design Workshop, often called a “charrette.”

CAST architecture is working with University Cooperative School to expand its space in the historic Maxwell Building. Developing such a vision was the focus of our recent workshop with teachers and staff. The group’s excitement coalesced around the concept for a central space we are calling "The Hive," a versatile, warm, and inviting student commons where kids of all ages can cross paths for both structured and unstructured activities.

During the charrette, we used a series of guided design exercises to draw out feedback: a brainstorming discussion; a walkthrough of the unfinished space with the main room dimensions laid out on the floor with tape; a game where participants voted on the appeal of various inspiration images with colored stickers; and a facilitated sketching exercise to document the emerging consensus.

This may have been one of the easiest workshops we have facilitated. With some stakeholder groups, we need to work extra hard to ensure all voices are heard (not just the loudest ones). These elementary school teachers—long accustomed to consensus decision-making—were amazing to work with, ready to jump into each stage of the meeting with insightful comments and actionable suggestions. 

See more at the community section of our website.

El centro de la raza roosevelt early learning center

Construction progress! This side-by-side construction shot and rendering look down the central circulation spine at the José Martí Child Development Center, which connects the entry, classrooms, and outdoor play area. This new center will provide high-quality Early Childhood Education for 74 children.

A unique aspect of our involvement is that we've been part of the larger team since the early feasibility stage of the project, long before there was a specific childcare provider.

We have played a crucial role in shaping the evolving design of the overall building to ensure the space would be viable as an ELC. From big-picture design elements like the location of the play yard and the relationship of the main entrance to the sidewalk and courtyard; to detailed technical aspects, such as maintaining at-grade egress from toddler classrooms, we’ve provided clear direction to the evolving pieces of the larger building. We ensured the five floors of apartments above wouldn't impinge on the necessary duct and exhaust shafts that allow us to include a much-needed full commercial kitchen in the center.

CAST is proud to be part of the team for the Cedar Crossing affordable housing project, in partnership with El Centro de la Raza, Bellwether Housing, and Mercy Housing NW. On-site child care is an important component of the project, which co-locates resident services in the same building with family-sized housing units.

See more at El Centro de la Raza Roosevelt Early Learning Center.

Seattle home renovation

Many Seattleites fall in love with their walkable neighborhoods with tall trees and connection to water, trails, and views. They choose to renovate instead of moving when their family outgrows the home. Originally built in 1963, the full remodel of this split-level house brings an improved layout, more daylight, and updates for modern living.

As a welcoming feature, five-inch wide mahogany siding wraps from the exterior through to the entry. The warm, updated entrance also features floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the adjacent spaces with natural light. While the open staircase brings light into the basement it also emulates the alternating rise from the concrete stairs outside. Accent cove lights wash the ceiling and walls with light in the living and dining spaces.

Green design elements include a roof-top solar array, rainwater collection for irrigation, and pervious paving. The paving system includes a break in the pavement to allow for better drainage to reduce the amount of rain running down the rest of the driveway.

See more: Wedgewood Renovation

A new hatchery & beach shelter for the Port Gamble S’Klallams

On the beach at Point Julia where their village once stood, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe’s Hatchery and Beach Shelter combines pragmatic uses with symbolic content. Salmon fishing is central to both the Tribe’s traditional identity and its contemporary outlook. This project recognizes the cultural importance of both the place and the program, while providing solutions for these activities to flourish in the 21st century.

Components:

• Two-story salmon hatchery

• Open-air structure shared by Tribal fishermen and the community

• Landscape restoration along the beach between structures

• Reorganization of the hatchery’s water intake system in the adjacent ravine

Point Julia is a prominent spit that protects Port Gamble Bay. This project area falls within a designated archaeological site that is both a busy workplace for the Tribe’s commercial fisherman and a popular recreation area. It is also the burial ground of their ancestors. Within this sensitive zone, we have limited the building footprint to areas already disturbed by prior construction.

In traditional Salish building in the intertidal zone, permanent poles fashioned from tree trunks were sunk deep into the sand, then clad with removable cedar planks. In a modern analogue, exposed auger-cast concrete piles support a lighter skin of glass, polycarbonate, and wood.

While minimizing excavation, elevating the hatchery on piles allows the lower level to withstand up to three feet of storm-driven tidal flooding. Flooding is predicted to become increasingly common as the effects of global climate change are felt locally. The lower level houses a garage, maintenance shop, and egg-incubation room with equipment that is both durable and moveable. The upper floor contains offices, water-quality testing, and filtration equipment. The spectacular conference room on the southwest corner can be entered separately, accessible to the wider community.

The second story of the hatchery emerges above Point Julia Drive at eye level to the road. Within the lantern of the enclosed porch, we are working with S’Klallam artist Jimmy Price to create a site-specific installation to mark this arrival point.

If the new hatchery forms a gateway to the beach from the landward side, the beach shelter is the Tribe’s front door on the sea. It will provide a work area for fishermen who pull their boats onto the beach and will also anchor the arrival of the annual Canoe Journey, the region’s most important inter-Tribal celebration. The shelter’s high roof encloses both hardscape and a generous slice of beach. Its oversized beams and exposed rafters make an explicit nod to traditional wood construction. A low-roofed plumbing core that echoes the hatchery houses hygienic cleaning sinks and the beach’s first public restrooms.

On the beach between the two structures, we will restore the native landscape in a way that continues to welcome the community. Existing paths are strengthened and the future pedestrian connection with the Tribal Center is initiated. Our experience of a summer afternoon on the beach with Tribal elders drives the landscape palette; along with salt-tolerant erosion control plantings, the beds reintroduce traditional edible and medicinal plants.

Rendering of the hatchery building

Rendering of the beach shelter, with the hatchery building in the distance

Reichert house restoration, Seattle

“There are moments where I look around and feel like I’m living inside a work of art,” says homeowner Darin.

Through this down-to-the-studs renovation, CAST pays homage to modernist architect Robert Reichert’s former Seattle home. See more at Reichert House & Studio.

@dwellmagazine
Photography: @andrew.giammarco
Words: Lauren Gallow @desert.ren
Constructed by: @dboone0911
Structural Engineer: @swensonsayfaget
Landscape Design: Maggie Payne
Lighting Design: Luminous NW Entry tile: @pophamdesign
Entry metal work: @seattlemetalproducts