QUIET BY DESIGN

 

Long before a foundation was poured or a floor plan drafted, the land already had a voice. The site—set within a quiet forest on Washington’s Key Peninsula—had once been cleared and altered, its slope disrupted and spirit interrupted by a modest suburban house. But the couple who had cherished this land for over 35 years wanted something different. They envisioned a home not imposed upon the earth but gently woven into its fabric—one that would shelter, reflect, and respect the forest that had become part of their lives.

For their longtime getaway turned full-time residence, they turned to mwworks, the Seattle-based architecture firm known for crafting site-sensitive modern homes that dissolve into the landscape. Together, they embarked on a design process rooted in restraint and reverence. The result is Longbranch, a 3,500-square-foot residence that doesn’t demand attention, but rewards it—a home that emerges slowly and thoughtfully from its wooded setting.

Approached by a winding gravel road, the house is concealed from the street. What first reveals itself isn’t architecture, but terrain—a planted roof rising just above a slope, populated by frogs and birds. From there, a bridge of cast concrete and cedar planks leads visitors over the forest floor and into the home, offering the first glimpse of the building’s quiet poetry.

Designed as a series of interconnected volumes, Longbranch balances solid and void, heaviness and transparency. Cast-in-place concrete masses anchor the house to the hillside, while dark-stained cedar wings extend horizontally into the trees. Between them, a light-filled central pavilion framed in Douglas Fir timber acts as the home’s heart—its open living, dining, and kitchen spaces flowing toward sweeping views of Case Inlet.

 

 

The home unfolds through orientation and framing rather than ornament. Every room, whether guest suite or quiet study, is placed with intent—some facing the meadow, others nestled into the forest, still others cantilevered toward the water. Each opening is a lens onto the landscape, a pause that heightens awareness.

Material choices deepen the experience. Concrete, Richlite, white oak, and porcelain tile form a subdued palette that complements rather than competes with the surrounding environment. These finishes are chosen not for flash, but for feel—underfoot, underhand, in light and in shadow. “The structure almost disappears at times,” notes the mwworks team. “That was the goal—to let the land speak louder than the architecture.”

​