Garden Pavilion, Seattle

When the Zimmerman family settled in Seattle, Washington, in the late 1990s they bought a 1,100-square-foot Craftsman built in the 1920s. Fast-forward to today. Not wanting to leave their beloved neighborhood, but hurting for space, they enlisted the help of local design-build firm Ninebark to create a separate living area. Working from sketches that the residents had from their uncle, Gary Schoemaker, an architect in New York, Ninebark realized a refined granny flat that serves as a playroom, office, and guesthouse for visitors, complete with a kitchenette and full bathroom.

Text by

Diana Budds

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A rolling ladder made from salvaged wood and components leads to a small, yet well equipped, office.

Here's a bird's eye view of the living area from the loft.

The kitchenette countertops are made from recycled concrete. The bathroom tile is by Pental.

Though the footprint of the structure is quite small, just 20' x 12', it has a remarkable number of green features, including a Warmboard radiant subfloor, tilt-turn windows and doors handcrafted from Douglas fir, reclaimed wood used for the rafters, a dual flush toilet, and is oriented for passive heating and cooling. "It was important for us to be green, but we weren't chasing LEED," says resident Jon Zimmerman. The exterior boasts a standing-seam copper and cedar rain screen.

The double-height space is flooded with daylight, which Zimmerman says is one of his favorite points of the design, especially considering how notoriously gloomy Seattle can be. One of my favorite aspects of the design is the rolling ladder used to access the 50-square-foot loft space that acts as an office, which is made from salvaged components.

Architect: Gary Shoemaker, Gary Shoemaker Architects PC
Interior Finish Selection: Kim Mankoski, Ninebark Design/Build
Landscape Design: Ninebark Design/Build
General Contractor: Ninebark Design/Build
Design and Permitting Consultant: Jared Hoke, Red Oke Studio