Faban Point Residence

The dramatic cantilevered third floor, wrapped in Alaskan yellow cedar and trimmed in zinc is one of this Mercer Island residence’s most compelling features.

The floor sits atop a steel skeleton made of two large trusses – each 10 ft. tall by 45 ft. long – which are built into the wood-framed walls to carry the cantilever. Wide-flange beams and a series of steel straps provide the floor’s shear strength. A 90-ton, on-site crane was used to lift the massive steel package into place.

The complexity of the steel skeleton required creative, well-ordered routing of mechanical, electrical and plumbing ductwork throughout the 8,522 SF structure. The exterior cladding of the cantilever roof required significant scaffolding set-up, and detailed scribing of material intersections.

The Faban Point residence features many contemporary surfaces in their pure form. Exposed, board-formed concrete, exposed steel, cedar and ipê – along with glass and aluminum trim – are a few of the elements comprising the finished surfaces of the house.

An impressive landscape design by Bruce Hinckley completes this contemporary residence. A two-level, lighted water feature crosses the property and runs the full length of the house. The lower courtyard is designed as a private oasis for the family, containing a raised lawn and is surrounded by shore pine trees and honey locusts.