Little House/Big Shed is a lovely retreat located in Island County, Washington, designed in 2018 by David Van Galen Architecture.

Description
Red Alders are the first to arrive after a clear cut. Fast growing and rich in nutrients, they heal and prepare the land for what is to come. They are followed by Douglas Firs, their slow growth nourished by the loam that the alders leave behind, creating their own ecosystem as they gradually displace the alders.
The owners fell in love with this piece of property the first time they walked into the woods on a windy December day. This inland island site was likely logged in the first half of the last century. Three acres of the 5 acre site are now established second growth woodlands that tower above the rolling meadow at the site?s entrance. A narrow swath of alder remains among the dominant firs, rising from the bottom of the ravine to a glade of ferns. Invasive holly and briars had laid claim to an old tractor path leading into the woods. It?s here, at the confluence of the alders and brambles, that the House and Shed have been placed. Through this careful siting within the evolving forest, only a small number of alders were removed (and will heat the house for several seasons); the firs remain, undisturbed.
The House, set at the ravine?s edge, reaches for a lone fir within the alders. A linear stand of firs is addressed by the north edge of the deck. One of the site?s oldest firs provides a focal point to the ...