Anima Architects is a collaborative design practice whose work seeks balance with it’s environment and brings joy to those who inhabit it.

Situated on a sloping site with views of nearby mountains and the valley below, the Thunderhead Residence was designed to accentuate the surrounding views and provide an overall sense of openness that draws inhabitants out into the beautiful natural environment. The design builds off an existing residence which will be completely remodeled and includes an eastern addition housing the main Living and Lounge spaces as well as a southern addition which adds a Primary Bedroom Suite and a new Garage. 

After their move from Boston to Boulder, our clients wanted their new house to be as open as possible to the surrounding natural beauty, and to be able to enjoy unobstructed sunset views throughout the house and adjacent outdoor spaces. Accordingly, the new Living and Lounge spaces all incorporate accordion doors which allow the interior spaces to be completely opened to the expansive new decks and patio below, allowing the residents to move seamlessly between the indoor and outdoor spaces and creating a sense that the interior spaces are amongst the surrounding trees. The new spaces are flooded with natural light from the south and east as well as from ridge skylights over the main living area. From the exposed wood and steel beams to the natural stone chimney, the forms and materials that make up the house drew inspiration from those found in the surrounding natural environment as well as those typically used in the historic mining structures constructed in the region.

Team: Anima Architects, SSF Structural Engineering.

This project was designed, and developed by Rhodes Architecture + Light while Josh Meharry was a team member.

Set along the Puget Sound coastline with views over the water of islands and the Olympic Peninsula beyond, Seaview Residence locates all of the primary living spaces along these panoramic views and provides a variety of framed views as well as the ability to completely open interior spaces to the natural environment beyond. The house is broken up into three “blocks” situated around a central entry courtyard. The main living spaces spill out onto waterfront terraces and decks, while the guest block opens onto the vegetated garden court within. A glass jewel box separates these two blocks and functions as both the main entrance and the stairs. This space incorporates open stairs and bridges with areas that are left open to visually connect all three levels and allow daylight to penetrate the interior of the residence. Horizontal screens were integrated along the stairs to provide a combined sense of openness and privacy between the main living areas and the private guest wing. The garage block screens the property from the street and provides a lower level apartment/ gym which opens onto it’s own sunken court.

The roof incorporates a large photovoltaic array that provides more power than the house consumes. All roof stormwater runoff is treated by a bioretention planter in the entry courtyard, and the pavers used on the terraces are all pervious, allowing water to penetrate and be held by the soil below rather than being diverted to the public stormwater system.

The eco-friendly exterior materials, a combination of resysta shingles, shou sugi ban charred boards, metal roofing, concrete and steel, were selected to remain maintenance free in the demanding coastline environment and to be a modern reflection of materials typically seen on coastal homes throughout the Pacific Northwest. The muted and light interior materials were selected to tie in with the natural colors, textures and materials found in the sand, pebbles, rocks, driftwood, and water which is typical along this coastline.

Team: E+H Construction (General Contractor), Rhodes Architecture (Architect), SSF Engineers (Structural Engineer), Erin Lau Design (Landscape Design), TEC Engineering (Civil Engineer), Sunergy Systems (Photovoltaic Design/ Installation).

Photography: Andrew Buchanan, Subtle Light Photography.

After having spent several years living in a trailer getting to know their rural property in La Pine Oregon, our clients made the decision to build a small off-the-grid modern cabin that they can retire in and use as a hub for entertaining family and friends. Keeping the cabin modest in scale and construction cost was critical to this couple since they planned to build the cabin themselves and didn’t want to overextend themselves financially so they can continue pursuing their love for international travel and maximize time spent with their loved ones.

Set amongst a grove of lodge pole pines, the cabin was designed with simplicity in mind and utilizes materials that help it fit in seamlessly with the surrounding high desert environment while being low maintenance and fire resistant. Although the cabin is compact in footprint, the interior spaces are all designed to open out onto a large outdoor deck, effectively doubling the usable living space, while a covered breezeway provides protected access to the main entry and houses an outdoor kitchen for entertaining in warmer weather and wood storage for use in the indoor/ outdoor fireplace during the winter months. The compact 600 square foot interior footprint also has a 200 square foot flexible loft space which can be used to work from and house guests alike. The exterior breezeway, main living space and loft was designed to be open to the vaulted wood rafters, steel collar ties and skylights above, creating a seamless transition between the interior and exterior and a sense of openness and lightness unusual for such a compact footprint.

Team: Anima Architects, Vista Structural Engineering, Life Design/ Build.

This project was designed, and developed by Rhodes Architecture + Light while Josh Meharry was a team member.

Nestled into a sloping site, the bridge residence is entered by a series of bridges which span over an entrance light well before meandering into and over an interior double height entry space. This entry space is flooded with natural light from the skylight above, and serves to create a buffer between the common living areas and the bedrooms/ office on the upper level, and between the master suite and the kids bedrooms below; a separation that was desirable to this three generation household.

The main living spaces are screened from the entry with a vertical wood screen, and the space can be completely opened up to the large western deck with views of a grove of trees below. An exterior chimney ties the two levels together visually and provides fireplaces for warmth at both the upper and lower covered outdoor spaces. Nearly all of the spaces along the west spill out onto either the upper decks or lower continuous terrace, to facilitate a connection with the site and natural environment throughout the seasons.

The exterior roof forms are a modern take on traditional shed roofs with large overhangs, often used in the Pacific Northwest for their ability to shed rain and provide covered areas outdoors. Exterior materials were selected for their durability, with muted dark panels accented by brighter colors and natural wood. 

Team: DLH Construction (General Contractor), Rhodes Architecture (Architect), SSF Engineers (Structural Engineer), Erin Lau Design (Landscape Design), TEC Engineering (Civil Engineer).

Photography: Benjamin Benschneider, The Seattle Times

Press: Seattle Times Article from June 17, 2016. “Every room is a family room in this light and bright Medina home.”

This project was designed, and developed by Rhodes Architecture + Light while Josh Meharry was a team member.

After seeing this roof design the clients dubbed their new house “Garuda” after the Hindu Demi-God with wings so large they darkened the sky, and the name stuck. These clients were a couple who were wanting a house for them and their dogs that could also house each of their parents who came often to visit them from India for prolonged stays. They wanted to have plenty of common space for everyone to spend time together as well as a sense of privacy between each of the three bedroom suites.

The resulting design consists of two lower “plinths”, each one housing one of the parent’s ensuite bedrooms which open onto private exterior patios in the rear yard. The upper level that bridges over and cantilevers beyond the lower plinths contains the communal living spaces and the couple’s bedroom suite, while the tops of the lower plinths then become roof decks for the spaces above. The void between the lower plinths serves as the primary entrance, and this space opens into a double height space with skylights that draw you up and make you feel connected to the upper living spaces despite the level change. Other unique spaces and elements were integrated into the design at the client’s request such as a Puja (prayer) room that opened into a screened exterior landscape area with a small fountain, as well as a rock climbing wall in the interior entrance atrium. The garage was tucked below and accessed from the side to keep the doors largely out of view, and a large movie room was also integrated on the lowest level.

The clients requested natural and warm materials, which lead to exposing the concrete floors throughout the interior and the use of corten rusting steel panels on the exterior of the lower plinths and wood soffits at the roof and underside of the upper floor.

Team: Dyna Contracting (General Contractor), Rhodes Architecture (Architect), SSF Engineers (Structural Engineer), Erin Lau Design (Landscape Design), TEC Engineering (Civil Engineer).

Photography: Aaron Leitz Photography

This project was designed, and developed by Rhodes Architecture + Light while Josh Meharry was a team member.

Constructed within a rare five acre plot of forested land in Bothell, this house design stemmed from an interest in both creating connections to the surrounding environment as well as carving out an area for communal gathering for this family of 6 to come together with their extended family, friends and community. In response to this desire, the main residence was broken into three separate structures arranged roughly into a “C” confirguration, which formed an inner courtyard where communal gatherings could take place that was adjacent to but felt distinct from the surrounding forest. All three structures support different uses for the residence, but all have views toward and open onto this inner court.

Since the residence was located at the low point of a shallow ravine that runs through the site, the two side structures were built into the surrounding hillsides with boardformed concrete retaining walls that are exposed at both the interior and exterior of the house. The central structure that houses the main interior living spaces, bridges over a small stream that flows during the wet season, allowing the site’s natural drainage patterns to remain intact. The spanning portion of this central structure is supported off of two cast in place board-formed concrete chimneys, which also act to define the edges of the main interior spaces and include large double sided fireplaces. This central structure was designed to be very transparent to be as inviting as possible and provide views through the structure to the inner courtyard and into the forest beyond.

The simple gabled forms are typical of traditional Pacific Northwest homes and cabins found in forested settings like this, and are preferred for their structural efficiency, and their ability to shed rain, snow and tree debris. The roof forms are vaulted at the interior as well, creating an increased sense of spaciousness. The exterior materials used are extremely durable and will remain maintenance free for many years, with corten standing seam metal roofs, corrugated pre-finished siding, exposed board-formed concrete and powder coated steel.

Team: Element Residential (General Contractor), Rhodes Architecture (Architect), I.L. Gross (Structural Engineer).

Videography: Ryan Reese, Reese Films.

This project was designed, and developed by Rhodes Architecture + Light while Josh Meharry was a team member.

This residence was designed and permitted for a site designated as an environmentally sensitive steep slope with views into the trees and Lake Sammamish beyond on one side and the often busy West Lake Sammamish Parkway on the other side. The house was designed to be supported on concrete piers with a steel moment frame above in order to minimize the impact to the steep slope and the natural drainage patterns of the site. The side of the house facing the street was designed with minimal openings and additional insulation to help mitigate traffic noise, with only a minimal clerestory being punched on the lower level to provide natural light and sky views. The opposite approach was taken on the lake side where the majority of the facade is opened up to glazing to take advantage of the expansive views.

The massing is expressed as three separate interlocking forms; the garage, the lower level main living spaces, and the upper level bedrooms and office spaces which spans over the other two and utilizes the tops of the lower structures as roof decks for the two master bedrooms at each end. An entrance bridge spans across the slope and through the space left between the garage and the lower level of the house, and cantilevers beyond the residence into the trees creating a fantastic viewing platform. The drive bridges across as well, with a steel grate driving surface which allows rainwater to fall through to the soil below, supporting vegetation growth and stabilizing the steep slope. The exterior materials are comprised of steel corten panels, resysta boards, and rheinzink panels which are all rugged and designed to last with little to no maintenance.

Team: Rhodes Architecture (Architect), SSF Engineers (Structural Engineer), TEC Inc, (Civil Engineer), Erin Lau Design (Landscape Design).