Artists’ Retreat, Whidbey Island, WA Home Studio, Washington Real Estate, New Property Images, Architecture
Artists’ Retreat on Whidbey Island, WA
Contemporary House and Studio, WA, USA – design by Prentiss + Balance + Wickline
Jun 19, 2018
Whidbey Artists’ Retreat
Architects: Prentiss + Balance + Wickline
Location: Whidbey Island, WA, USA
Whidbey Artists’ Retreat

Nestled into a second growth cedar forest on a 10 acre Whidbey Island parcel, this project consists of two artist?s studios, a house and a garage. These buildings are carefully arrayed around the site?s high point, each focused outward toward a distinct view of the adjacent cedars, gullies and small meadow. The buildings are expressed as industrial objects within the landscape, eschewing the idea of ?blending? with the surroundings and, instead, striving for a harmonious composition of elements in the forest – an arrangment encouraged by the adventurous aesthetic of the artist clients.
A neutral material palette of concrete, galvanized metal and polycarbonate is punctuated by moments of saturated color. The warm spectrum of colors was chosen with the clients on-site to compliment the cool palette of the surrounding woods and other exterior materials.

Double sloped roofs cap simple rectangular volumes, creating dynamic forms that respond to topography and light. Clerestories of polycarbonate panels fill the volume left by the elevated roof edge, admitting diffused light and ob...