Architects: Heliotrope Architects
Area: 3000 m²
Year: 2009
Photographs: Sean Airhart, Benjamin Benschnieder
County: San Juan
Country: United States
Suncrest Residence, designed by Heliotrope Architects on Orcas Island, Washington, occupies a 26-acre site of Douglas fir and Pacific madrone forest, rocky clearings, and ponds, minimizing disturbance to sensitive ecology, including bald eagle nests. Positioned where the forest meets a rocky clearing with sea views, the home wraps around a rock outcrop, requiring minimal tree removal. Its long, narrow layout offers sea views from every room while maintaining a forest connection. Using Douglas fir, madrone wood, concrete, zinc, steel, and glass, the design blends with its surroundings and complements the wife’s art collection featured throughout.
Situated on Orcas Island, Washington, Suncrest Residence is nestled amid trees, rocky outcrops, ponds, and bald eagle nests. Designed by Heliotrope Architects, the residence was created to minimize disruption to the site and integrate seamlessly with its natural surroundings. This effort resulted in a residence recognized with the Merit Award at the 2010 AIA Honor Awards for Washington Architecture.
This residence is set on a pristine 26-acre property featuring a mature forest of Douglas fir and Pacific madrone, interspersed with rocky clearings and small ponds. The site is ecologically delicate, hosting bald eagle nests and trees susceptible to blight if disturbed. Furthermore, the thin soil layer over native basalt poses challenges for stormwater management. The clients sought an architectural design that respected these constraints, minimized environmental impact, and utilized their preferred materials—wood and concrete—while fostering a strong connection to the land and its sea views.
The design places the home at the transition between the forest and a large rocky clearing with sea views. The structure is thoughtfully wrapped around a prominent rock outcrop, requiring minimal tree removal. To further protect the site, strict access protocols were enforced throughout construction, and the surrounding landscape was meticulously restored afterward.
The home’s long, narrow footprint ensures that every room enjoys sea views while maintaining a close connection to the surrounding forest. The material palette, carefully selected to complement the natural colors and textures of the site, includes locally sourced Douglas fir and madrone wood, along with concrete, zinc, steel, and glass. These materials create a harmonious relationship with the art collection displayed throughout the home, much of which is created by the wife.
At Suncrest, the primary column/beam structure is steel, with shop-fabricated joist plates welded to the beams. This allowed for a high degree of accuracy due to a detailed shop drawing process, while off-site shop fabrication minimized the required on-site erection time. Once the steel structure was up, the joists rolled out quickly, which was important as the exposed wood roof structure needed to be installed quickly in fair weather and protected before rains came.
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Project Location
Address: Orcas Island, San Juan County, Washington, United States
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
