Winged House Delicately Perched in a Pristine Orcas Island Setting

Typically, new home construction means bulldozing a path to the work site, the site itself and the space around it, resulting in destruction that extends well beyond the footprint of the structure.

In this case, a lovely indoor-meets-outdoor, long-span layout wraps itself around an outcrop of rock and threads between various existing trees to avoid disturbing the nests of bald eagles and other natural elements of the site.

Concrete, wood and steel manage to bend to nature while also establishing modern living spaces – they also work to transition between open and closed platforms, walkways, and rooms in transition both inside and out.

Designed by Heliotrope Architects and set on Orcas Island in Washington state. From the architects: “This new residence is located on a pristine site comprised of a mature Douglas fir and pacific madrone forest, with occasional rocky clearings and several small ponds …. The long, narrow footprint of the home allows every room a view of the sea while also retaining a strong connection to the surrounding forest.”