The Pierre, designed by Olson Kundig Architects, is a single-storey residence designed to cut into the protruding bedrock of the client’s existing property, located on one of the San Juan Islands off the coast of Seattle.
The home is wedged into a hill and seems to be another one of the protruding rocks which surrounds it, and there is even grass growing upon its roof. To set the house deep into the site, portions of the rock outcropping were excavated using a combination of machine work and handwork. The house is slotted between two sections of rock. Its walls are made from exposed concrete, with a smooth surface that opposes the rough stone, while the roof is covered with grassy plants to allow the building to merge into the landscape. A large living and dining room spans the length of the building and features a fireplace hearth comprising a carved rock with a levelled surface. Interior and exterior fireplace hearths are carved out of existing stone; leveled on top, they are otherwise left raw. The master bathroom’s sink is composed of water cascading through three polished pools in the existing stone. Both the entry sequence and a powder room are fully carved out of the rock.
The master bathroom’s sink is composed of water cascading through three polished pools in the existing stone. Off the main space, a powder room is fully carved out of the rock. A skytube is through to the top of the rock and topped by glass. A mirror set within the tube serves as a focal point, reflecting natural light into the space and connecting to a forged bronze sink.
