Woodway Residence by Olson Kundig: A Family Home Floating Above the Meadow
Woodway Residence, designed by Olson Kundig in Woodway, Washington, gives the landscape a defining role in daily domestic life. The home was designed for an active family of five on a site overlooking a restored meadow and forest. Rather than replacing one enclosed volume with another, the architects arranged a sequence of pavilions and connecting spaces that appear to float above their surroundings. This composition allows the setting to remain present from the moment visitors enter.
An arrival framed by nature
The street-facing side is deliberately quiet, while the movement through the house is directed towards the garden. A Cor-ten steel entry door forms a tactile threshold. Beyond it, the central circulation spine provides an unobstructed view through the home, linking the principal gathering pavilion to a smaller social space at the other end. Arrival is therefore experienced as a gradual opening to the landscape rather than a conventional sequence of enclosed rooms.
A glass pavilion for shared life
The main pavilion brings the kitchen, dining and living areas into a large, flexible setting for entertaining. A steel-framed hearth anchors the room, while a built-in pizza oven reflects the family's love of food and gathering. Generous glazing and perimeter clerestory windows bring the meadow, wetlands and forest into view, while drawing daylight deeper into the interior. The material palette is deliberately warm: timber on ceilings and floors counterbalances the expansive glass and structural elements.
Private rooms that can grow with the family
The southern wing steps gently down with the terrain and moves through the existing Douglas firs and cedars. Bedrooms open towards a shared den and outdoor space; a small kitchenette gives the wing a degree of independence that could become especially useful as family needs change. A private bedroom suite is screened behind panel doors yet remains connected to garden views and the wider house.
The strongest feature of Woodway Residence is this balance of sociability, privacy and landscape. Sliding doors, roof overhangs and terraces make the exterior usable across changing Pacific Northwest weather, while the interior remains comfortable without relying on overtly luxurious finishes.
Working life beside the family home
The attached garage has a distinct role in the family's everyday life. Beyond parking, it offers a place for collaborative projects and for an unconventional collection of cars. This practical component helps explain the house's program: Woodway Residence was not designed as a purely static composition of views, but as a setting for activities that can change and expand as the family grows.
The meadow as a visual framework
The site had previously held a residence oriented away from the surrounding meadow and forest. The replacement home reverses that relationship, making the restored landscape visible through broad walls of glass and carefully placed openings. This shift encourages residents to experience the different characteristics of the site rather than perceive the garden as an enclosed view from a single room.
A carefully organised circulation spine
The central passage links two social destinations, allowing movement through the house to follow the topography and connect different parts of family life. West-facing slot windows along the route capture sunlight and shade as they change through the day. This brings variation to what could have been a purely functional corridor and keeps the experience of the surrounding landscape present even between rooms.
Private and shared rooms in balance
The main bedroom suite is concealed behind panelling so that its occupants can retreat from activity in the gathering pavilion. In the southern wing, secondary bedrooms connect to a den and kitchenette, allowing relatives or older children to occupy a degree of independence while remaining nearby. The layout makes the house suitable both for a family gathering and for quieter routines.
Weather and daily use
Sliding glazed doors extend the main pavilion towards patios, decks and garden paths. Generous roof overhangs help protect outdoor areas from the rain typical of the Pacific Northwest. Together with the natural timber interiors, these features make movement between rooms and landscape part of a comfortable year-round domestic life rather than an occasional event reserved for fine weather.
Credits and photography
Project: Woodway Residence. Location: Woodway, Washington, USA. Architecture: Olson Kundig. Design principal: Kevin M. Kudo-King. Project manager: Jesse Kingsley. Interior design support: Amanda Chenoweth and Laina Navarro. Photography: Aaron Leitz. Images sourced from Olson Kundig's official Woodway Residence project gallery.
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