Perched high above East Sound on Orcas Island and blessed with 270-degree views that include Victoria Island, the Coast Range, the city of Vancouver and Mount Baker, this 5,400-square-foot summer home for a young family, has a cross-shaped floorplan, oriented on the cardinal points, to mark and exploit the vast prospect it enjoys.
Project name
Hilltop Haven
Architecture firm
Heliotrope Architects
Location
Orcas Island, Washington, USA
Principal architect
Mike Mora, Jonathan Teng
Design team
Mike Mora, AIA, Principal). Jonathan Teng, AIA, Project Manager
Collaborators
Architecture firm and Interiors: Heliotrope Architects - Structural Engineer: Swenson Say Faget - Artwork: Jessica Cantlin and Deb Achak (Winston Wachter Gallery) - Whiting Tennis (Greg Kucera Gallery) - Structural Engineer: Swenson Say Faget
Visualization
Notion Workshop
Typology
Residential › House
Boat trips to the San Juan Islands were the highlight of Heliotrope principal Joe Herrin’s summers as a child. Through these trips he developed a love of boating and a deep connection to the San Juans - one that eventually led he and his wife Belinda to purchase a modest beach cabin on Orcas Island, months after the birth of their first daughter. ...
Project name
Buoy Bay A-Frame
Architecture firm
Joe Herrin, Principal at Heliotrope Architects
Location
Orcas Island, Washington, USA
Principal architect
Joe Herrin
Collaborators
Cabinetry: Bill Post
Construction
Ryan Rancourt
Material
Wood, Glass, Steel
Typology
Residential › Cabin
Approached initially to consult on site-selection, the firm encouraged the clients to focus on features that are unique to the San Juans such as grassy basalt rock outcroppings set within a Douglas fir and pacific madrone forest. The owners later purchased a hillside parcel possessing these features, the rock outcroppings forming a small clearing.
Project name
Buck Mountain Cabin
Architecture firm
Heliotrope Architects
Location
Orcas Island, Washington, USA
Photography
Taj Howe, Sean Airhart
Principal architect
Mike Mora
Collaborators
Space Theory (Cabinetry)
Interior design
Heliotrope Architects
Landscape
Native Landscapes
Construction
Tye Contracting Inc.
Material
Wood, Glass, Metal
Typology
Residential › House
Heliotrope Architects designs Suncrest, an idyllic island retreat on Orcas Island, which is part of the San Juan Islands archipelago that sits in the Salish Sea/Strait of Juan de Fuca between the USA and Canada.
Project name
Suncrest Residence
Architecture firm
Heliotrope Architects
Location
Orcas Island, Washington, USA
Photography
Sean Airhart, Benjamin Benschneider. Video by Juan Benavides/Filmatica
Interior design
Heliotrope Architects with the Owners
Structural engineer
Swenson Say Faget
Lighting
Heliotrope Architects
Material
Concrete, Wood, Glass, Steel and Zinc
Typology
Residential › House
The clients own and operate a Los Angeles area retail gallery featuring a curated collection of west-coast artists. They desired a retreat with the feel of a contemporary art gallery, with plenty of wall space to display a rotation of their collection while also capturing expansive views offered by the site.
Project name
Collector’s Retreat
Architecture firm
Heliotrope Architects
Location
Orcas Island, Washington, USA
Construction
The Green Construction Company
Material
Wood, Concrete, Glass, Steel
Typology
Residential › House
Located on a rocky, wind-swept south facing shoreline; this retreat home nestles into the landscape to harmonize with its surroundings and minimize exposure to weather. The home is a vacation retreat for a family of four, who desired a low-impact home with a strong connection to land and sea.
Project name
Lone Madrone
Architecture firm
Heliotrope Architects
Location
Orcas Island, WA, USA
Design team
Joe Herrin, Mike Mora, Jonathan Teng
Interior design
Ore Studios (Interior Furnishings)
Structural engineer
Swenson Say Faget
Typology
Residential › House
