The Buchter residence carefully sited to preserve the natural landscape

This modest series of wooden structures is a vacation retreat located on Orcas Island, United States. It’s a 2000 square foot house that sits on a 15 acre wooden site. It was designed for two sisters and their spouses and it was designed by David Coleman Architecture. The clients requested a design that would include a cluster of buildings placed in such a way that would allow the preservation of the rugged but beautiful landscape.

Buchter residence picture7

The architects agreed with the clients that the best solution would be to create a modern summer camp. It’s a structure composed of sleeping pavilions, a great room and a series of covered porches. The entry foyer is part of a 60-foot long timber framed porch enclosed in glass. This structure also contains a sitting area and a study. The site features a total of three pavilions. They feature flat roofs and large windows that create a smooth connection with the outdoors.

Buchter residence picture7
Buchter residence picture7
Buchter residence picture7
Buchter residence picture7
Buchter residence picture7
Buchter residence picture7
Buchter residence picture7

The three pavilions are sitting on concrete bases. They are each positioned differently in order to allow different views and to also preserve most of the landscape. They are oriented towards specific views and they each have their own internal structure. Two of the pavilions contain the bedroom suites. They also include entrance halls, bathrooms and wardrobe cases. The third pavilion includes the kitchen, the dining and living areas. The great room is connected to a porch. The pavilions were built using materials that were mostly harvested locally. They have simple designs that allow them to integrate into the landscape.