Orcas Island Cabin | Miller Hull | Architecture

Orcas Island Cabin San Juan County, WA

This 1800 s.f. weekend cabin for a family of four is located on the south slope of Mount Constitution on Orcas Island, the largest of the San Juan Islands, about 90 minutes north of Seattle.

The cabin is set on the edge of the wood at a natural clearing and outlook to the south across East Sound, Lopez Island and the Olympic Mountain range. The cabin was conceived as a series of compact, efficient spaces that flow together and open to the outdoors. The building is stepped into the hillside and the main floor tiered to take advantage of the slope and bring the hillside into the house. A series of boxes which contain sleeping and bath areas are stacked back up against the cool, shaded forest to the north, while the shared family spaces are set below a large sheltering sloped roof and open out to the expansive site and views to the south.

Deep overhangs protect south facing glass and clear polycarbonate roofing lets light in while blocking the UV rays and keeping the rain out. The continuous exposed Douglas fir structure blurs the threshold between inside and out, and a large folding glass wall allows the living space to completely open out to the covered deck. Whitewashed plywood is used for built-in casework, bunks, beds and as the interior wall finish.

Kitsap County Administration Building | Miller|Hull | Architecture

MillerHull designed the 70,000 s.f. administration building for Kitsap County located on the government campus in Port Orchard, WA. The new building houses the County Assessor, Auditor, Treasurer, Department of Community Development, Administration Services & Commissioners Offices.

The property presented a design challenge with a 55' grade change across the building site. The design response was to terrace the building into the hillside, which allowed for multiple narrow floor plates. The construction is primarily cast-in-place concrete with precast plank floor system. The building skin is a combination of limestone cladding and glass. A two story steel canopy on the south side provides shade and a dramatic civic entrance.

The new building's design has many sustainable attributes. The design process began with an eco-charette: a brainstorming session to set environmental goals for the building which have been closely tracked and evaluated throughout development. The steep site is a natural for taking advantage of rainwater collection. Cisterns hold collected runoff for irrigation use in the dry season. Storm water runoff is reduced by the utilization of green roofs and generously landscaped areas. Native plantings allow for reduced irrigation needs.

A number of factors help keep building energy use down. Heat gain is minimized through the use of deep overhangs at glazing openings, earth sheltering, and thermal mass. Also, a large portion of the building's glazing is north facing. The narrow footprint and skylights bring daylight even into the earth sheltered spaces reducing artificial lighting needs. The mechanical system uses an under-floor distribution system which saves energy, allows fine tuned control and provides flexibility for future modifications. The stepping green roofs have higher insulation values than typical roofing systems.

Recycled content materials include carpet, gypsum wall board, rubber flooring, concrete, and acoustic ceiling tile. Access to fresh air is allowed via a mechanical system which emails the staff when the operable windows may be opened due to indoor/outdoor temperature conditions.