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| To gain privacy, the home's main living spaces are raised one floor above ground on this corner lot. |
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EDGY LIVABILITY
Seattle's Central Area
Architect: Mark Travers of Mark Travers Architect
Builder: Barlow Construction
Construction cost/size: $430,000/3,142 square feet; three bedrooms, two and a half baths
The intent: To help Bob Chow and Shirley Low realize their dream of building a modern house on a rare, undeveloped lot in Seattle's Central Area. Travers accomplished it by designing a compact, no-frills floor plan that nevertheless is high on both drama and livability. A three-story "modern aesthetic" (the architect's description), the home's main floor is one story up, which offers privacy and great light. Open spaces, big windows and exposed steel-and-wood beams give it the edgy feel of an urban loft. Atop this floor are the bedrooms, the laundry room and a rooftop deck with Mount Rainier view. A one-bedroom guest suite, garage and entry atrium share the ground floor. Aggressive Internet shopping by Low yielded value-priced luxuries, such as European and Japanese plumbing fixtures and a serpentine chandelier for the entry.
