Stair House
Steve Keating

Stair House

David Coleman Architecture as Architects

The Stair House is located on a steeply sloped lot overlooking Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains in Seattle’s Leshi neighborhood. An existing building was removed to make way for the new construction. The new home sets into the slope, extends vertically onto three levels and totals 2400 square feet.


The plan is organized around two sets of stairs – a horizontal run leading from the front courtyard to the rear yard along the south side of the building, and a vertical run connecting the lower, main and upper levels of the interior.


The exterior stair is characterized by a welded wire mesh screen running the length of the house. Vines will eventually cover the screen, transforming it into a transparent green wall. This stair is entered by way of an intimate courtyard defined by a concrete garden wall and a small entry porch. A platform located at the midpoint intersects with the interior stair, allowing connectivity and secondary access. At the rear of the house, the stair opens onto an elevated wood deck before terminating at the rear yard.


The interior stair is set in a plate-glass box located in the center of the building. The glass walls extend to all levels, lending a sculptural quality to the stair and allowing light to penetrate all of the interior rooms. Both stairs are composed of blackened steel channel, mahogany treads and perforated steel guardrails.


Primary living spaces are located on the main level, as is the entry courtyard and rear terrace. Light filters in from the east and the west by way of the stair tower. The master suite occupies the upper level; a guest suite occupies the lower level.


Predominant materials include rhinezink-colored steel panels, anodized aluminum, polished concrete, welded wire mesh, blackened steel, plaster, mahogany, plate glass, Douglas fir and ebonized oak. Together, they create an elegant, robust and masculine feeling that is decidedly quiet, rich in light and appropriately subservient to the outstanding views.


Project Spotlight
Product Spotlight
News
Detail: sliding panels of natural pine protect a residential complex from the Mallorcan sun
29 Mar 2024 Detail
Detail: sliding panels of natural pine protect a residential complex from the Mallorcan sun

Spanish architecture firm OHLAB has recently completed Paseo de Mallorca 15, a residential complex o... More

Snøhetta designs new extension for the world’s oldest ski museum in Oslo
28 Mar 2024 News
Snøhetta designs new extension for the world’s oldest ski museum in Oslo

Global transdisciplinary architecture and design practice Snøhetta has designed a new entranc... More

10 public buildings that demonstrate architectural applications of precast concrete
27 Mar 2024 Specification
10 public buildings that demonstrate architectural applications of precast concrete

Precast concrete is made by casting concrete in a reusable mold. These molds are made of various mat... More

Sameep Padora and Associates creates a flowing, organic art center in southern India
26 Mar 2024 News
Sameep Padora & Associates creates a flowing, organic art center in southern India

Mumbai-based Sameep Padora & Associates (sP+a) has completed Hampi Art Labs in Toranagallu, a vi... More

Introducing Partner Thermory AS
26 Mar 2024 Partner News
Introducing Partner Thermory AS

Thermory AS offers a diverse product range that includes durable exterior cladding, decking, interio... More

Brooklyn Tower by ShOP Architects showcases a unique materiality
25 Mar 2024 News
Brooklyn Tower by ShOP Architects showcases a unique materiality

Brooklyn Tower, standing an impressive ninety-three stories tall with a unique neo-deco crown, is al... More

Doriana Fuksas, Martin Lesjak, Li Xiang and Steven Wright join Archello Awards 2024 jury
25 Mar 2024 Archello Awards
Doriana Fuksas, Martin Lesjak, Li Xiang and Steven Wright join Archello Awards 2024 jury

Doriana Fuksas, Martin Lesjak, Li Xiang and Steven Wright have been announced as Archello Awards 202... More

Vurpas Architectes converts former brick and concrete market into light-filled primary school in Lyon
22 Mar 2024 News
Vurpas Architectes converts former brick and concrete market into light-filled primary school in Lyon

The Eugénie Brazier school project in Lyon, France, undertaken by regional architecture studi... More