Sanwick Residence Lot 7

One of six homes in a forested community on Bainbridge Island, Lot 7 sits at the bottom of the hill among significant Douglas fir and cedar trees. The entry crosses a bridge to the upper living level — a perch above the forest floor.

PROJECT STORY

Enter by bridge, live among the trees

The Sanwick community occupies a wooded hillside on Bainbridge Island, where lots platted years ago now fall under more stringent lot coverage requirements than when they were originally divided. Every site on the hill required coordinating septic, well, stormwater, and county land use requirements before a house could be placed — and every site backs up to conserved land, meaning the forest behind each home is permanent. The six houses were studied together before any individual design was resolved, with massing developed communally to understand how each building would sit within the landscape and relative to its neighbors.

Lot 7 is at the bottom of the hill, cross-sloped and heavily treed, with several significant Douglas fir and cedar trees the design works around rather than removes. The lot is oriented perpendicular to the slope, which created an unusual opportunity: the grade and access road alignment allow the house to be entered from above, crossing a bridge to arrive at the upper floor. That upper level holds the primary living spaces and main bedroom, giving those rooms a position among the canopy rather than at its base. The additional bedrooms are on the lower level, tucked into the hillside.

Like all the Sanwick homes, the design follows the lantern concept — private sleeping and support spaces screened from neighboring lots, while the main living areas open to the forest with generous glass and indoor-outdoor connection. On Lot 7, the combination of the bridge entry and the inverted program means the house reads differently from every other lot in the community: you arrive at the top and the forest opens up below you.

The house is currently under construction, with completion expected in 2027. Photography will be added when the project is complete.