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The couple, leading an active lifestyle, decided to build a house on the slope of the plot in Washington, abandoning the traditional approach with earthwork and massive foundations. The story of this couple, Kaskid and Marty Babkok, began a few decades ago, when their second house was a boat with an area of ​​only 40 square feet. This experience taught them that living compactly, but comfortable, can even be in limited space.

The purchase of an undeveloped area on the island of DECEITER in 2006 was a starting point for the dream of ideal refuge among nature. A picturesque area with steeply slipped slopes and narrow gravel paths required a delicate approach to maintain the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape. The design plan was to minimize interference in nature, abandoning large -scale earth intervention and the construction of a massive foundation.

Transfiguration history: from boat to living space

KAS Kinkid, a landscape architect, and Marty Babko, a former nurse-practitioner, used their own boat for a vacation for a long time, enjoying their lives on the island. However, in the fall and winter, when the temperature dropped sharply, life on the water became difficult - cold and troubled water interfered with a comfortable rest. The couple realized that they needed to switch to ground housing, while preserving the environmentally friendly approach and the values ​​of minimalism.

In search of a solution, they turned to the prestigious architectural company Miller Hull Partnership, which has experience in creating houses on the island. Cas insisted that the building “swim” over the landscape, allowing the natural environment to remain almost unchanged.

Unique architectural solutions

To implement the project, architects have developed a design that can be conditionally called “steel skeleton”. This idea made it possible to create a house that supposedly soars above the ground, relying only on concrete supports. The main features of the new house include:

• Steel exoskeleton supporting the spacious rectangular platform with a flat roof;
• Two residential modules: one with a living room, a dining room and a kitchen, the second with two compact bedrooms and a common bathroom;
• Dark cedar exterior emphasizing the harmonious merger with nature;
• The integrated solar system Roof panels, providing complete autonomy of the house of the house.

The architectural approach allowed the interior of the house with an area of ​​868 square feet visually spacious, and the transition between the modules is carried out through the covered summer terrace. This contributes to the deep interaction of residents with the natural environment: they can enjoy fresh air and landscapes throughout the day.

Environmentally friendly approach and future possibilities

When developing a project, the couple paid special attention to the preservation of the environment. Instead of the excavation of the soil, minimal changes in the landscape were used. Thus, a system of gravel access road for construction equipment and current use, as well as innovative retaining walls made of bags of sand covered with seeds of grass, was developed. These decisions have proven their reliability and aesthetic attractiveness, especially in harmony with local pasture conditions - even sheep grazing nearby, almost no changes.

Thanks to the thoughtful design, the house retains the possibility of further modifications. In the future, owners will be able to easily add new modules or change the layout without violating the integrity of the “steel skeleton”.

Conclusion

The successful completion of construction in November 2023 became the culmination of the perennial dreams of the couple. The house, built with the cost of about $ 1,100 per square foot and the total cost of landscape work of $ 200,000, turned into an oasis of solitude and harmony with nature. For KAS and Marty, this is not just a house - this is the embodiment of an idea where modern architecture meets with care of the environment, creating a unique space in which you so want to stay forever.