Homes That Made the Most of Steep-Grade Siting

Where others saw the 50 percent drop-off of a slope in Seattle as an insurmountable challenge, the Hale family saw it as an opportunity to build a semi-cantilevered dream home on a budget.

A supposedly impossible site was the perfect plot for Hale (pictured) and Edmonds, who were searching for some sort of break that would afford them the chance to build their own home. Stilting the house over the steep hill gives them direct access to nature while still being located just a ten-minute drive from downtown Seattle.