Seattle-based design studio Graypants transformed a detached garage on Vashon Island, off the coast of Tacoma, Wash. in Puget Sound, from a cluttered storage space into an airy waterfront retreat. In place of shingle-clad walls, the 420-square-foot structure now features a glazed envelope, with a bifold glass door that opens up the south façade. Reclaimed pine slats line the pitched glass roof, which is accented with interactive LED panels that run down to the floor. Fir boards from the existing garage walls were refinished and repurposed to line the floor; embedded panels can be propped up to form backrests for lounging or conceal storage compartments when closed. A built-in storage unit holds bookshelves, a desk, cabinets, and a hidden bar, and a narrow passageway outside the north wall boasts an outdoor shower. “The diagrams and the drawings are exquisite,” juror Joel Sanders said. “I think the way they found a balance between echoing the child’s notion of what a shelter is, but to do it in a way that feels very fresh and contemporary, is such a smart thing to pull off.”
Click here to see all of the winners of the 2014 Residential Architect Design Awards.
Drawings
Project Credits
Project Garage, Vashon, Wash.
Architect Graypants, Seattle—Seth Grizzle, Jonathan Junker
General Contractor Schuchart/Dow—John Hoedemaker
Photography Amos Morgan
Project Size 430 square feet
Construction Cost $1,000 per square foot
Materials and Sources
Bathroom Fittings and Fixtures Repurposed from a 1950s parsonage; Calazzo calazzo.com
Doors Fleetwood Windows & Doors (sliding door) fleetwoodusa.net; R.D. Wing Co. (custom front door) rdwing.com
Exterior Siding Vashon Sheet Metal
Flooring Schuchart/Dow (concrete) schuchartdow.com
Garage Doors Wilson Doors (custom) wilsondoors.com
Hardware Custom (door track); Soss Door Hardware (hinges) soss.com
Lighting Fixtures Schuchart/Dow Custom LED system with integrated Lutron Electronics Co. app
Paintsand Finishes Custom wall and ceiling panel system; Sunbrella (stretched frames) sunbrella.com
Roofing Vashon Sheet Metal
Skylights Evergreen House evergreenhouse.com
Stove Repurposed from an 1890 Victorian
Windows Distinctive Windows (custom) distinctivewindowsinc.com; Fleetwood Windows & Doors (awning window) fleetwoodusa.net
