Tyler Engle Architects PS

Mar 2019

This 1400 square foot guest house emulates the main house that was designed by Tyler 16 years prior. Modern in its split-level floor plan, wrap around windows and glass enclosed stair; it is also traditional in its details and materials which reflect this historic “shingle-style” vernacular. The split-level section parallels the sloping terrain, efficiently providing more space within the prescribed height limit, while its iconic gable-end façade with anthropomorphic windows greets visitors just as the main house does. This project was published in the Seattle Times Pacific NW Magazine. Photography by Benjamin Benschneider

$900k

Woodway, WA

Sep 2018

Originally built in the 1920’s, this house suffered numerous inharmonious modifications and additions requiring an almost surgical design approach. Reconfigured circulation, enhanced functionality, and a wholly new interior were the result of a substantial remodel where most of the upper floor and roof were strategically removed. The clients’ preference for the simple volumes of the “shingle-style” Cape Cod vernacular inspired a Shaker-like minimalism evident in the five gable roof form, the repetition of the double-hung window module and the weathered cedar shingle exterior.

$2m

Seattle, WA

Jan 2012

Two separate condominium designs were completely reconfigured to create a single new residence with a cohesive interior design. Thickened walls that hide plumbing risers delineate the public living spaces from the more intimate master and guest suites. A “service core” clad in Brazilian cherry provides a transition from the entry to the living room. Combining what were bedrooms in separate units, the new living room occupies the full width of the building’s east bay enabling 180 degree city views. Details of blackened steel provide a tensile contrast to the solidity of the wood and plaster walls. Photography by Ben Benschneider

$2.5m

Seattle, WA

Jan 2008

A substantial addition and renovation completely transformed this house from a small Tudor to a modern residence that responds to its urban view site. An entry sequence of dramatic contrasts that alternately opens and constricts increases the perceived width of the interior. This same juxtaposition of expansion and contraction occurs vertically with low intimate ceilings punctuated by vertical shafts for daylight penetration and visual connection between the floors.

$600k

Seattle, WA

Jan 2008

A former seeping hillside with poor drainage and awkward pathways was transformed into a cohesive urban oasis. New walkways circumscribe the primary outdoor living space while providing direct access from the garage and alley to the mudroom and kitchen. Privacy was achieved by an architectural concrete wall that fortifies the separation from the alley and hides a new parking space while a heavy timber trellis buffers the garage. These modern elements are detailed to respect the traditional context.

$350k

Seattle, WA

Jan 2007

Challenges of a steeply sloping site and a tight budget were remedied by the use of innovative structural systems and modular construction. Called the “Trestle House” due to the foundation system, economy was achieved by the use of a 12’ x 16’ grid creating a short structural span and standard 4’ x 8’ sheets of plywood which is a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Japanese Tatami mat module.

$550k

Gig Harbor, WA

Jan 2006

Cross-axial circulation defines separate zones of public and private space and gives order to this triangular site facing a golf course. The impact of the building on this gently sloping site is mitigated by massing which terraces with the topography. Further connecting the house to the landscape are rooms that open to courtyards and a colonnade that extends from the entry to the fairway. Photography by Jomer Siasat and Doug Scott

$900k

Gig Harbor, WA

Jan 2005

Clients with an extensive art collection sought to convert a storefront from the early 1900’s into a dynamic live/work space. Creating the modern equivalent of the traditional courtyard house, the new design is centered on a large skylight over the living and dining rooms. Reminiscent of a shipping container, a wood-clad service core houses the kitchen and powder room. A flexible and multi-functional space is facilitated by large pocket doors, steel plate blinders that hide the kitchen and concealed equipment that pivots out for use. Photography by Ben Benschneider

$350k

Seattle, WA

Jan 2004

A small beach house that required significant structural modifications was remodeled in an additive process where a “wrapping motif” dissolves the corners of the cubic volumes. By utilizing layered fences, covered terraces and an exterior room that is oriented to the sky in it’s architectural design, varying degrees of privacy are achieved. The result is a protective seclusion with directed views to the islands of Puget Sound and the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula. Photography by Ben Benschneider

$5m

Seattle, WA