Donovan Street House

This urban-infill project (designed in collaboration with Lauren Woodward) on a lot in south Seattle achieves a simple elegance and a pleasing efficiency.  Built on a tight budget, its form was inspired by the industrial containers so common throughout the Duwamish Valley. The industrial aesthetic is balanced by wood, color, and landscaping on the exterior, and by ample daylighting, wood, euro-ply cabinets, wood stairs and floor (2nd floor), adventurous use of color, as well as other features on the interior. 

Energy efficient and sustainable features include passive heating and cooling strategies, thermally tight structural insulated panels (SIPs), radiant heated floors (concrete with 20% fly-ash content below, locally sourced madrona wood above), on-demand hot water heater for domestic use and for heating, green roof, rain collection system, recycled/reused materials, fixtures, hardware, etc., efficient appliances/fixtures, and more. 

The Donovan St. House was featured in the October 24, 2004 issue of Pacific Northwest Magazine. The Donovan St. House was conceived as a prototype, and would be appropriate on most urban lots with little modification.