The Rambler

The Rambler

Surrounded by the immense trees of Indianola on Washington’s Puget Sound, The Rambler is a home shaped by intimate familial connections. The concept for the home was inspired by the client, who grew up in the village-like setting and was gifted the site by her grandparents. Her stories and personal history merged to form the home’s narrative and reinforced the design team’s responsibility to honor the community and the site itself.

Much of the owner’s life is centered on music and family, so from the outset, it was clear that the home would need to be an instrument that bolsters the musical activities in her life, which span writing and playing music, offering lessons, and sharing music at social gatherings. The everyday functions of a home also needed to be integrated into its small footprint. The team thoughtfully zoned all of the site’s areas, maximizing space for an abundant vegetable garden, a future shop building, and opportunities to gather around the fire pit.

The overarching design concept emerged from a solid rectangular volume running east to west across the site like a typical one-story rambler. Sections of the volume have been carved away to create gathering spaces and open axial views, and additional perforations draw in light and provide natural ventilation while still maintaining privacy. The home examines the relationship of ground-to-roof planes as it stretches horizontally, emphasizing its connection with earth. The singular vertical element that disrupts its overall horizontal nature is a site-cast fireplace and chimney that marks the heart of the living space where family gathers and music is written and played.

Strong connections between the interior and exterior spaces are evident throughout, especially where brick screen walls extend into the surrounding landscape and create semi-enclosed rooms. The landscape itself is invited up to the perimeter walls and, in cases like the entry garden, directly into the center of the home. Low-maintenance materials that age gracefully are critical components of the project. Douglas firs that made way for the home were milled and dried during construction and were used for the roof plane’s finish lid, open shelves in the kitchen, and a custom coffee table. Cedar milled on-site was used to create the main entry door, benches, and a privacy fence to the east.

Like the owner, the lead builder grew up near the site and maintains connections that stretch back generations. The team identified more than 30 local collaborators to make The Rambler a truly local effort. Last summer, the client hosted a celebration to recognize the more than 80 individuals that helped realize her home.

“This is a beautifully designed house with a small budget,” noted the jury. “It demonstrates that good design does not have to rely on a significant cost per square foot but rather using all resources available. In this case, the resources were community members and local artists.” - Jury comment