East Sound House
A renovation and addition that extends an existing timber frame cabin, improving performance while strengthening its relationship to the bluff, forest, and views over East Sound.
Location Orcas Island, WashingtonClientPrivateProjectResidential, Interiors
Sited on a bedrock bluff above East Sound on Orcas Island, this project begins with a simple found condition: a small cabin in a stand of trees, looking west over the water. The work does not replace that condition; it builds on it. The existing 1980s structure, organized by a heavy timber frame, is retained and used as the basis for the renovation and addition. New work aligns with that frame, extending the house while keeping its order intact. The timber frame establishes the rhythm for both plan and section. New spaces are added in line with that structure, allowing old and new to reside comfortably together. The enclosure is rebuilt to meet the demands of the site, with a layered wall and roof assembly designed for durability and moisture control in a marine climate.
The roof forms are direct and familiar—pitched volumes that read as shelter first—set among the trees and oriented toward the horizon. A standing seam metal roof wraps these primary volumes, shedding water and reinforcing the clarity of the forms, its silver sheen reflecting the sky. The exterior walls are clad in dark, thermally modified wood, a tone selected to match the surrounding tree trunks, reducing contrast and allowing the building to sit quietly within the forest.
Openings are sized and placed with intent. The largest windows face west, opening to expansive views across East Sound, while more controlled openings frame views to the north, south, and east within the trees.
The project works by holding to simple decisions—retain the frame, extend its logic, use clear forms, and employ materials that resonate with the qualities of the site. The house remains a cabin on the bluff, reworked to meet its site with greater clarity and performance.
Project Team
Northwest Studio
Aaron Young, David Cutler, Brian Nguy
Landscape ArchitecturePacific Landscape ArchitectureStructural EngineeringQuantum Consulting EngineersCivil EngineeringPacific Surveying & EngineeingGeotechnical EngineeringElement SolutionsEcological NW Ecological ServicesGeneral ContractorKaplan Homes
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