by 
Lurelhurst was first designed by Ibsen Nelsen in 1961, the layout of this house is very well considered but the character and flow between the spaces does not match the daily patterns of the new owners. That’s why the new owner enlisted the help of Seattle-based design studio mwworks. Located in the same city, mmworks has renovated this residence to the liking of its new owners with increased physical and visual connections between the room and the outdoors.
This house was designed as close as possible to nature by emphasizing the courtyard garden as the main feature, which is seen primarily through the open-concept living room. The carefully considered openings that surround this space, re-frame it as a soothing organizing element of the home, are not only central to the living room but also to the entrance, daily circulation pathways and the more informal spaces of the home. To support the openness of the room, single pane windows replaced and extended from floor to ceiling. The house has managed to bring in as many natural elements as possible to blur the line between indoor and outdoor as the new owner wanted.
To reduce heat, improved insulation and high-efficiency radiation floor heat allows the discharge of ducts and low ceilings, dramatically reducing the energy consumption of the home. The new project is refurbished and is more livable but still respects the best elements of the original design.
photography: Jeremy Bittermann
