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AIA Open House
'Simple box' turns attention to space and modest budget

By Elizabeth Rhodes
Seattle Times staff reporter

	KEN LAMBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES Beaver Lake in Sammamish is the site of today's Seattle Times/AIA Open House.
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The house: Located adjacent to a small lake, this house is, in the words of its architects, "a simple, classic box with hipped roof." Family living spaces plus a master suite are on the main floor; downstairs are children's rooms, a media room, office and laundry. Among the stylistic highlights: poured concrete walls and fir-trimmed trusses.

The architects: Lane Williams, Brett Burnette and Henry Lo of Lane Williams Architects. "The construction budget for this project was very tight and inflexible," Williams says. "The owners sought to build as much space as possible now to preclude the need for later additions."

Share your AIA stories For 50 years now, The Seattle Times and The American Institute of Architects, Seattle, have collaborated to publish featured houses open for public tours. Are you a fan of the AIA Open Houses? Have you had a special experience at or because of an open house? (For example, did you meet your soul mate on one of the stairways? Have you gone to every single event? Did you end up buying one of the homes?) We'd love to hear your experiences, impressions and/or memories. Your responses might be used to help shape our coverage of the 50th anniversary of the program early next year. To share your stories, please e-mail homes@seattletimes.com or write to Home/Real Estate, The Seattle Times, 1120 John St., Seattle, WA 98109. Please include a phone number where we can reach you.

The owners: A couple with two young children. The husband, who works at home, required a modest office. The wife, a homemaker, wanted arts and crafts space in the laundry room.

The contractor: Dave Weitzel, Weitzel Construction.

Judges' comments: "The best and most interesting aspect of this project was the response to the owner's budget. The project is an excellent example of an architect's ability to take relatively modest budget and square-footage requirements and competently design a well-thought-through house."

The size: 3,200 square feet, three bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths.

Project cost: $595,000 (Includes all labor, materials, building permit fees, sales tax and architect, contractor and/or consultant fees. Excludes land cost.)

Tour hours: noon to 4 p.m. today (Sunday) only.

	Lane Williams

Address: 2225 E. Beaver Lake Drive S.E., Sammamish.

Driving directions: From downtown Seattle, take I-5 to I-90. Head east on I-90 to Issaquah. Take the Front Street exit and turn left onto Front Street North, which becomes East Lake Sammamish Parkway Southeast. Turn right onto Southeast Issaquah Fall City Road. Stay straight and go onto Southeast Duthie Hill Road. Turn left onto Southeast Issaquah Beaver Lake Road. Turn right onto East Beaver Lake Drive Southeast and stay straight to go onto Beaver Lake Way Southeast. It will become East Beaver Lake Drive Southeast.

Licensed architects are encouraged to submit residential work to the AIA for consideration. Nominees are reviewed by the Seattle Chapter, AIA Open House committee. Call 206-448-4938.

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