Orcas Island Retreat

This Pacific Northwest modern cabin on Orcas Island provides its Seattle owners a calming retreat from city life, its architecture composed of three pavilions sited for unique views of the surrounding well-preserved forest-land.

Orcas Island, WA

This 2000 SF retreat in Washington’s San Juan Islands is carefully sited to preserve the natural landscape. The design reinterprets the “summer camp” in a modern way, complete with sleeping pavilions, a great room, and covered porches – inspired by the platform tents and national park lodges of the last century. A 60’ long, glass and timber-framed porch gives order to the site and connects the three pavilions, positioned at angles to orient them towards specific views and landscape features. Details are refined and expressive– built-in benches wrap the perimeter of the porch; window glazing extends up to the underside of the flat roofs; corners are cantilevered to float like the branches of the trees in the surrounding forest.

Photography by:
Ben Benschneider
Claudio Santini
David Coleman

FEATURED IN:

Architectural Record

Pacific Northwest

Sunset

Island Living: Inland Retreats, Seaside Havens

AIA / Seattle Times Home of the Month

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Buffham Residence