Loyal Captain in Seattle by Heliotrope Architects

The Loyal Captain is a new addition and landscape update to an historic landmark-designated 5,000 square foot residence built in 1933 in Seattle by ship captain Ole E. Nelson as a copy of his boyhood home in Bergen, Norway. The original house was constructed with a very high level of craftsmanship in a style consistent with Scandinavian vernacular building traditions and has been maintained in excellent condition.  Throughout the house can be seen examples of Norwegian folk art and the family story is that Capt. Nilsen personally selected all the wood used in the house, sending back the pieces that did not meet his specifications.

Heliotrope was commissioned by the current homeowners—a young family of discerning taste—to design a kitchen addition to replace the too-small original galley-style kitchen. The new design is a contemporary, heavy timber, post and beam structure that complements the original house while allowing both to stand on their own as distinct characters in relation to each other and the surrounding landscape.  

The new 500-square-foot addition is connected to the south side of the house via a six-foot glass-walled hall that establishes the new building’s autonomy from the original house. The addition extends into a large yard that was re-landscaped as part of the project, and replaces a tennis court built in the 1940s.  

A flat roof on the new building has a garden growing on top, and its extensive overhang shelters a terrace overlooking the new landscape. The terrace has a brick enclosed wood-fired BBQ system, and the brick extends around to the street-side of the addition to form a protective privacy wall.

The heavy timber post-and-beam structure supporting the roof extends past the roof overhang to the west to continue the existing loggia outside the dining room of the existing house.  Tapered concrete bases at the bottom of the timber posts drain water.  The exterior finishes of brick and stained wood are warm and subdued - matching the tone of the old house and blending into the landscape.  Large expanses of glass showcase the landscape from the interior and allow the new building to glow at night.

The new kitchen interior has a polished concrete floor, stained knotty-oak cabinetry, and Quartzite countertops, including a custom stone kitchen sink. Appliances are fully integrated into the cabinetry. The space is organized around a large island and the breakfast niche looking out over the yard through a wall-size picture window and containing a custom Bowen Lui designed dining table and chairs. The brick, wood ceilings, and heavy-timbers all extend from interior to exterior emphasizing the open garden pavilion character of the new building. The original kitchen is now a butler’s pantry.

The high quality of finish, detail and craftsmanship in the new addition is driven by the high standard set in the original house and aims to add something new to the history of an amazing structure.

Heliotrope Architects project team

Mike Mora, Principal in charge

Tony Salas, Lead Design and Project Manager

Project consultant team

Architecture: Heliotrope Architects

Construction Administration: Heliotrope Architects and Linework Architecture

Contractor: Dovetail General Contractors

Landscape: Ironwood Tree

Structural Engineer: Swenson Say Faget

Geotechnical Engineer: PanGEO Inc.

Photographer: Kevin Scott

Materials/Products

Plumbing fixtures: Vola

Appliances: Gaggenau

Pendant light: “knotty bubbles” by Lindsey Adelman

Windows and Doors: Quantum

Heavy timber beams: Cascade Fine Joinery