Issue link: http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/1496538
style brought clean surfaces, empty space, sleek lighting, and unfussy functionality to their modernist zenith. The Postmodern threw out the spartan Modern approach for something more idiosyncratic, eclectic, often wildly sculptural and vibrantly colorful. While most notable Postmodern designs can be found in public and commercial spaces, any house that combines disparate elements in a playful or "deconstructed" way can be called Postmodern-influenced. Near Contemporary 1990 to 2000 Since the 1990s, density has been the name of the game in those parts of Seattle not zoned for single-family homes. The 1990 Growth Management Act hemmed in development within urban growth boundaries, incentivizing denser single-family and multifamily housing closer to city centers. Master-planned communities continued to grow in suburbs falling inside the boundary. While a lot of homebuilding projects became large-scale, regimented, or focused on infill, Seattleites had never had so many single- family options fit for every lifestyle. Northwest Contemporary Perhaps the most important trend in the 1990s, these homes drew from the rich well of popular styles, especially Northwest Regional—locally sourced materials like wood and stone, exposed beams, open floorplans, and a marked Japanese influence with clean lines and a powerful sense of open space. Seattle Style? Even leaving out several styles (Gothic Revival, anyone?), this is a lot. Given the aesthetic diversity and the fact that most of these movements originated elsewhere, is there really such a thing as Seattle style? Short answer: Yes. But it's not defined by any one feature. It's more of a guiding principle Houseboats Floating homes have been a staple of Seattle since the beginning, especially on Lake Union. Initially little more than shanty-like structures housing shipbuilders, fishermen, timber workers, and other laborers, houseboats were considered largely undesirable in the early twentieth century, starting as cheap housing solutions before evolving into more "bohemian" communities. During the apartment boom of the 1950s, houseboats very nearly went extinct before being promoted and ultimately codified by the city in the latter decades of the century— eventually losing their low-rent reputation and achieving a more glamorous status as part of Seattle's waterfront heritage. If you look at a few of the floating palaces of today, it can be hard to imagine houseboats' humble history. that drives the way regional variations like the Seattle Bungalow are designed. Most were built to complement rather than overpower their surroundings—the climate, biomes, and beauty of the Puget Sound region. As such, they share key elements, including some going all the way back to Salish longhouses. David Miller, University of Washington professor and award-winning AIA Fellow, has identified a few: Simple structures on raised foundations, large windows to drink in rare sunny days, exposed posts and beams that show off local materials, and open layouts unifying the space. They eschew hard-and-fast boundaries between interior and outdoor space, keeping occupants dry with big patios and sheltering eaves. When you look at old Seattle homes, fully restored or radically remodeled, they often feel right because most were designed with this place in mind. Whether single-family, "missing middle," or multifamily, the homes of today that will survive are those elegantly adapted to their surrounding nature and cityscape. These are the homes that embody the Seattle style. 43 SPRING 2023 | master BUILDER