GO'C creates cedar-clad Sound House overlooking Seattle

Concrete and darkened cedar make up the facades of a Seattle home that was designed by architecture studio GO'C for a family of eight.

The Sound House is located on a sloped property in the city's Magnolia neighbourhood – a site that offers vistas of the downtown district and the Puget Sound. The dwelling sits atop an existing plateau that formerly held a house dating to the 1920s.

GO'C cantilevered the primary bedroom over a backyard pool

The architects had several guiding concerns, including capitalising on views and respecting the area's density and scale of surrounding buildings.

They also needed to create a spacious atmosphere for a newly blended family of two adults and six children. The father owns a record label, and the mother is a best-selling author.

The front facade is covered in cedar screening, including the entryway

"An emphasis was placed on providing large shared spaces to enjoy together and smaller areas of retreat for all members of the family," said local firm GO'C, formerly known as goCstudio.

The team devised a 5,500-square-foot (511-square-metre) home that is roughly L-shaped in plan and rectilinear in form. The building has two levels and a basement.

Structural concrete also features in the interiors

The northern elevation, which faces the street, consists of stacked, horizontal bars and an adjoining box that holds a garage. The southern elevation is more dynamic, with volumes that push outward and retreat.

"The massing of the house allows it to appear in scale with neighboring properties on the north side and opens up to the south as it cascades down the site," the team said.

The home's two layers have different facade treatments.

Sound House consists of two storeys, a basement and a rooftop viewing deck

The lower portion has concrete walls that ground the building to the site, while the top level is clad in vertical, tight-knot cedar slats with an ebony stain. Over certain windows, the slats form screens that pivot open and closed.

Set back from the street, the entrance leads into a wide hall that offers a sightline through the home.

The living area is double height with views to the city

The ground level holds an open-plan kitchen, dining area and living room, all of which connect to a rear terrace. A fitness room and library are also found on the ground floor.

The living room is a double-height "void" with ample glazing, bringing daylight deep into the home. A steel staircase with wooden treads leads to the upper level, where there are two wings connected by a bridge.

The library is also on the ground floor

The east wing holds the parents' bedroom suite and cantilevers over the backyard, while the west arm encompasses the kids' sleeping area.

"The kids' side functions as a bunkhouse of sorts, with six small bedrooms arranged around a sun-filled central play space with a large skylight above," the architects said.

Metal staircases connect the levels

The children's play area extends outdoors to a terrace built atop the garage. The upper level also contains a small office.

A staircase within a light monitor leads to a roof deck, where the family grows vegetables and herbs in a 500-square-foot (46-square-metre) garden.

The basement leads out to the pool area

"The roof serves as an additional gathering space for the family and also houses an 18-panel solar array to offset energy usage," the team added.

The basement contains a game room, movie room, wine cellar and laundry facilities, and leads directly to the swimming pool.

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It has energy-saving features, including extra insulation and a radiant-hydronic heating system.

For the interior design, the team used durable finishes that could withstand daily use from a family of eight. Creating a cosy yet refined atmosphere was also important.

The first floor terrace looks out over the pool

"Natural warmth was derived from the texture of the interior plaster, the use of warm woods, and the patina of the concrete and steel," the team said.

GO'C was founded in 2012 by Jon Gentry and Aimée O'Carroll. Their other projects include a winery tasting room that features cedar cladding and a rigorous structural grid and a Seattle apartment that doubles as a photographer's studio.

The photography is byKevin Scott.

Project credits:

Architect: GO'C
Design principals: Jon Gentry, Aimée O'Carroll
Architectural staff: Ben Kruse, Yuchen Qiu
Contractor: Thomas Fragnoli Construction
Structural engineer: Swenson Say Faget
Civil engineer: J Welch Engineering
Lighting design: Niteo

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Alton Wines by GO’C is wrapped in structural grid that frames vineyards

Cedar cladding and a rigorous structural grid feature in a winery tasting room by American studio GO'C that is designed to frame views of the terrain.

Alton Wines is located just outside of Walla Walla, a city in southeastern Washington.

Alton Wines is in Walla Walla, Washington

The winery hired Seattle's GO'C, formerly known as goCstudio, to design a tasting room and wine garden for an unusual site – a curved piece of land that sits in the crook of sloped vineyards.

"Deemed 'unfarmable' due to the soil makeup and location in the crook of the vineyards, the owner and farmer of the land had been waiting for the right opportunity to build something special," said GO'C.

A structural grid creates a focused entry

The clients wanted a building that was sensitive to the environment and embraced the landscape. They also desired outdoor space with shade – an important consideration given the region's dry, hot summers.

In response, the architects conceived a single-storey building that sits quietly in its cove-like setting.

The cedar clads the ceilings and skylights

Rectangular in plan – and utilising a rigorous structural grid – the building consists of a tasting room and wine garden that are separated by a covered breezeway.

Rising up from a flat roof is a chimney stack, which helps anchor the building, and an extruded skylight that ushers in natural light.

The primary lounge area has a large structural fireplace

Exterior walls are clad in a cedar rainscreen. The northern side is relatively opaque, while the southern facade is lined with large stretches of glass.

The whole building is meant to frame particular views of the scenery.

Retractable shades keep the patios cool

"The architecture acts as a frame, bringing the landscape closer into focus and a part of one's immediate experience," the team said.

The architects put special emphasis on the arrival sequence.

Interiors are light and showcase the wines

Visitors approach from the north and pass under a long arbor made of steel. Grape vines will eventually wind through the structure, providing visual appeal and shade.

The arbor terminates at the building's breezeway, which was conceived as a terrace.

The wine garden has a massive overhead fan and sandy floors

"This dramatic approach captures and accentuates the view of the Blue Mountains seen through the terrace between the two buildings," the team said.

The west side of the building holds the tasting room, where guests are encouraged to linger.

The bathroom interiors are simple and refined

The bright and airy space features concrete flooring, a wooden ceiling and contemporary decor. A large, steel-faced fireplace has a plaster surround and a built-in wood store.

A square-shaped skylight brings in soft daylight.

Lining the south-facing wall are sliding doors that enable the room to spill onto a patio. Overhead, a canopy is formed of billowing fabric panels that are retractable.

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The wine garden is on the facility's east side, where one finds outdoor lounge furniture and bar-height tables.

Concrete walls and counters support two rounded cookers. The winery owners love cooking and often bring in well-known chefs for weekend events.

The south side has floor to ceiling doors and the patio

Overall, the facility's outdoor spaces expand the usable area and enables guests "to tailor the winery experience to their needs", the team said.

GO'C was founded in 2012 by Jon Gentry and Aimée O'Carroll. The firm has completed a number of projects in its home state of Washington, including a Seattle apartment that doubles as a photographer's studio, and a floating wooden sauna that was partly funded by a crowdfunding campaign.

The photography is byKevin Scott and Veekster.

Project credits:

Architect: GO'C
Project team: Jon Gentry, Aimée O'Carroll, Yuchen Qiu
Contractor: Mountain States Construction
Structural engineer: J Welch Engineering
Civil engineer: Knutzen Engineering

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