French Creek Workshops
North-east of Seattle, on the site of a former animal sanctuary, stands a home thoughtfully integrated into its setting. The two-hectare property, bordering a wetland, provides songbirds, deer, frogs and hawks a place to roam and live in harmony.
Architect Matt Wittman of Wittman Estes was approached to design a single-storey home and workshop for a couple nearing retirement – prioritising accessibility, space for their hobbies and full immersion in nature. By anchoring the workshop on the higher northern ridge and the house lower to the south, Wittman gracefully resolved the site’s 11-metre grade change. Sandblasted concrete terraces, sheltered walkways and gardens provide safe passage between the main home and the workshop, which includes dedicated areas for woodworking, metalworking, glassblowing and more. “Instead of working against the climate, we expressed it so the owners can engage with it,” says Wittman. “They really wanted a landscape house.”
The compound centres around a courtyard, where eaves pour rainwater into a series of reflecting pools below. Inspired by the impluvium – an ancient Roman feature that collected rainwater for both practical and aesthetic purposes – the design invites the couple to interact with the region’s rainy climate in a kind of beautiful symbiosis.
The exterior, clad in naturally weathering cedar sourced from a local mill, creates “a connection that makes [the home] feel more of the place”, notes Wittman. Timber windows from local manufacturer Quantum and a corrugated metal roof, chosen to recall the site’s agrarian past, add contrast; the roof’s subtle metallic sheen catches the light with every change in weather.
Inside, non-slip concrete flooring with hydronic heating, paired with cedar and fir, keep the home warm and welcoming. A richly layered palette of terrazzo, paint and ribbed glass reflects the owners’ artistic sensibilities. Beyond adding tactility, these materials create depth, privacy and a sense of intimacy within the program.
While accessibility was a key focus, for Wittman it goes beyond wide walkways and a single-storey plan. Here, he and his team studied light balance to minimise glare, ensuring comfort for the owners in all conditions. The workshop, for instance, includes north-facing clerestory windows that flood the space with even light throughout the day. Its placement also helps shield from noise coming from the nearby road.
For the couple, daily interaction with nature was essential. Wittman and his team layered the landscape, leaving the outer meadow wild with native seed mixes and then shaping more formal gardens closer the home. “You can watch nature go by wherever you are in the house,” he says. A welcome garden of creeping ferns leads to an entry filled with lavender, and just to the south lies a butterfly garden rich with New England aster, bee balm and other pollinator-friendly perennials. Rather than defining hard edges, each zone flows into the next, creating a seamless progression through the site.
Ultimately, the home is as much about living as it is about making. Thoughtfully designed for comfort, creativity and connection to the land, it offers the couple a place to thrive while remaining immersed in the natural rhythms of the Pacific Northwest.
Architecture, interior design and landscape design by Wittman Estes. Build by Miovic Reinhardt Associates. Artwork by Nikki Sugihara.
