When the Owner of this house dropped his daughter off at summer camp many years ago, he fell in love with Orcas. Born and raised in Hawaii, and a self proclaimed islomaniac (lover of islands) he and his wife wanted their Orcas house to be a mountaintop retreat where they could look out at the beauty of the surrounding archipelago, listen to the frogs at night, and grow some vegetables.

The building site is a very slender ridge with a breathtaking view of the surrounding islands and the peaks of the Olympic mountain range. The challenge was to design a structure that would take advantage of the spectacular setting, while simultaneously preserving it. We were also given the mandate that there should be “no dreary winter days in this house.” The result is a linear building organized around a south-facing corridor, with a private bedroom “wing” and multiple three-sided bays that hang like saddle bags off of the main structure to maximize daylight and views. Construction had to proceed very carefully to preserve the natural rock and moss landscape, as well as several trees.

A harsh mountain environment led to the use of very durable and low maintenance materials that will hold up well to extreme weather and minimal care-taking. Access to a beautiful 180 degree plus view also exposes the house to harsh weather conditions – both summer and winter. Passive solar design strategies allow the house to capture plentiful natural light for interior spaces, and aid in keeping the house warm in winter months. Carefully designed passive ventilation, cedar sunshades and carefully preserved trees keep western glare to a minimum and work to keep the house from overheating in the summer.The house is organized around a linear hallway that runs along its southern side. A stone floor at the Entry is a functional durable surface, and also helps with passive solar heating in the winter. Custom barn doors on a 27 ft. long custom track can be configured to turn a second bathroom, office, and media room into a private guest suite when needed. One large douglas fir that was removed from the building footprint was carefully milled on-island into slabs and boards, and is featured in almost every room of the house.

The Owners call the house “Lanihuli” or “Swirling Heavens” – a name inspired by watching the constantly changing activity of clouds, mist and rain from various viewpoints inside the house. The kitchen realizes a long-held dream with a wood-burning pizza oven.

A library/media room serves as a guest bedroom via the addition of a well loved built in bed inspired by a Hawaiian hikie’e and by the panoramic view of both the surrounding landscape and the stars.