Wittman Estes Architecture has transformed a 1940s beach house into a new multi-generational home—doubling the livable area while lightly touching the delicate ecology of the waterfront of the Hood Canal, Washington. Two shifting wings hover over the hillside and beach supported by thin steel columns and pin piles.

Located on the eastern shore of Hood Canal near the Bangor submarine base, the new beach house includes the original two-bedroom structure for an expanded program of two new bedrooms, two bathrooms, and flex space. The design consists of three distinct parts: the original footprint, and the two projecting wings: the first a south ground floor addition, and the second an upper-level master suite to the north.

DESIGN DETAILS: ARCHITECT Wittman Estes Design BUILDER Jack Colgrove Construction STRUCTURAL ENGINEER J Welch Engineering LLC 

Finish Materials

• Fir windows by Lindal
• Master Bedroom-Windsor wood-clad windows
• Tight Knot cedar siding stained black
• Blackened steel exterior siding
• Steel columns on pin piles
• Cedar Soffits with a clear finish
• Cedar Slat Wall stained black
• Frank Lumber the Door Store – CustomEntryDoor
• Reclaimed pine flooring
• Interior cabinets painted white
• Existing brick chimney in the bedroom
• Steel rain chain

Furnishings

• • Saarinen Executive Armless chair
  • Chaise lounges from IKEA

Landscape Materials

• Thermory Decking
• AGS Stainless Steel Railing
• Outdoor Decks
• Blue Stone Pavers with Raw Steel Frame – AtEntry
• Concrete Retaining Wall
• Native Vine Maple ‘Acer Cercinatum’

Aldo Beach House Fast Facts

• Located on the eastern shore of Hood Canal near the Bangor submarine base.
• The new beach house includes the original two-bedroom structure for an expanded program of two new bedrooms, two bathrooms, and flex space.
• The original cabin was built in the 1940s and added onto.
• Due to the complex constraints of the shoreline exemption, the architects kept to the existing footprint, expanding the house only from the existing structure.
• The new wings of the house create a layering of community and privacy through guest bedrooms for friends, a bunk room and play area for kids, and an outdoor kitchen and deck for communal meals with neighbors.

The house represents a regional northwest problem of building on a fragile shoreline. “Due to the complex constraints of the shoreline exemption, we kept to the existing footprint, expanding the house only from the existing structure,” says Matt Wittman, Principal at Wittman Estes. “As a result, all new square footage is supported by compact pier foundations on pin piles.” Native plantings and drought-tolerant species were brought in to mitigate site disturbance and increase the site’s ecological function.

The architects wanted the site preservation to extend beyond the footprint and into the materials of the building itself. Local cedar, quintessential to a northwest house, wears naturally with the wet and dry seasons. Stainless steel and concrete provide a maritime accent to the wood materials.

Using naturally weathering materials, the life of the building was extended while allowing ease of maintenance for the users. A place for relatives, neighbors, and friends, the clients, both grandparents and retirees, wanted a place of retreat and welcome. “Like many northwest families, that meant designing various indoor and outdoor spaces for their children, future grandchildren, neighbors, and friends,” says Wittman.

The new wings of the house create a layering of community and privacy through guest bedrooms for friends, a bunk room and play area for kids, and an outdoor kitchen and deck for communal meals with neighbors. Two additions extend out of the original structure to meet this need –shaping shared spaces alongside rooms for reflection and privacy.

Two decks seamlessly elongate the use of the adjacent spaces for encouraging late-night conversations next to an outdoor kitchen. The original structure interplays throughout. Reclaimed pine flooring draws the Olympic forest to the interior. The existing brick chimneys blend into this palette, evoking timelessness and strength, representing the unique transformation of the house. The adaptive reuse of the Aldo Beach House sought a careful integration of the familiar with the modern, bringing the old and new together on the shoreline of Hood Canal.

What We Love: This multi-generational beach house provides a family with a wonderful haven of relaxation with indoor-outdoor living. The original footprint of this home separated the landscape and the views. The new design allows the home to hover over the shoreline and maximize views of the water. We especially love the spacious deck, a peaceful spot to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature.

Tell Us: What are your overall thoughts on the transformation of this 1940s beach house? Let us know in the Comments below!

Note: Be sure to check out another home tour that we have featured here on One Kindesign from the portfolio of the architects of this project, Wittman Estes Architecture: Serene cabin retreat tucked in the forest next to Washington’s Hood Canal.

Above: Broad outdoor decks seamlessly elongate the use of spaces adjacent to an outdoor kitchen.

Above: The kitchen opens onto the deck sheltered by the north wing.

Above: Custom wine racks made of reclaimed raw steel and barn wood siding.

Merging New with Old Reclaimed pine floors shapes the material palette and draws the Olympic forest to the interior. The existing chimney in the master suite and study brings the old to the new.

Above: Floor-to-ceiling windows open the beach house toward the view while keeping the existing chimney as an integral part of the room.

Above: The beach house hovers over the hillside and beach as a cohesive structure with two new projecting wings.

Locally Sourced Materials.  Naturally weathering concrete, steel, and stained cedar evoke both the familiar and the modern while extending the life of the project.

Above: Local cedar siding and Thermory outdoor steps wear naturally with the wet and dry seasons of the Pacific Northwest. The north wing at ground level uses wood to create a welcoming new front entry and porch.

Above: All the new square footage is supported by compact pier foundations on pin piles.

Above: The adaptive reuse of the Aldo Beach House sought to bring the new and old together before the stunning view of Hood Canal.

Above: Native plantings and drought-tolerant species were added to mitigate site disturbance and increase the site’s ecological function.

BEFORE THE REMODEL

Above: The original footprint was a beach house separated from the landscape and views.

Aldo Beach House/Drawings

Above: The design consists of three distinct parts: the original footprint, a south ground-floor wing, and the upper-level master suite wing to the north.

PHOTOGRAPHER Andrew Pogue

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