MILEPOST 9

Owner: Confidential
Architect: E. Cobb Architects
Completion: July 2004
Awards: AIA Seattle Chapter Award of Merit 2004

This waterfront residence’s location on a steep slope required creative thinking and innovative building methods from demolition of the existing home to finish work inside the new structure.

Charter removed an existing residence from the site, rehabilitated the foundation system and built a new home that captures views of Puget Sound. Demolition work required crews to drive excavators down an extremely steep slope to the site, then back up again.  Many of the building materials had to be hand-carried down the 46 steps to the house.  A crane stationed on the street above flew structural steel to the jobsite, carefully maneuvering around utility lines that prevented the jib from extending its full length.

Foundation work uncovered an existing mound of concrete that blocked an underground stream.  Crews removed the concrete and rerouted the stream around the foundation.