Building Notes

The Mathieson House was awarded an American Institute of Architects, Seattle Chapter, Gold Award for Washington Architecture, in 2001. Sam Bennett, writing for the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.com, said of the residence: "Architect John Eggleston was surprised to win a Gold Award for the Mathieson residence, which he designed and also owns. His firm is Eggleston Farkas Architects. The Queen Anne home was remodeled from a flower shop and 'brought joy to our faces,' according to Douglas Kelbaugh, an award facilitator. 'There seems to be a new, calm voice emerging here, as Northwest regionalism reinvents itself,' Kelbaugh said. Eggleston wanted an open, urban loft layout with a feeling of density at the street and a tranquil interior courtyard -- a program driven by a modest budget and the owners' unskilled labor. Portions of the structure were retained as a base for the two-story open loft structure. The house faces into the courtyard, with the solid walls acting as a buffer from the noisy streets and bus stop. 'It works at an urban scale and at a detail scale, without being precious,' said [Brian] MacKay-Lyons. Added [Steven] Ehrlich: 'We marveled at the economic use of materials, and the near zen-craft aspect to the house.' 'That house had to have been toured by every young architect in the city,' said Allan Farkas. Partner John Eggleston said the design reaffirms the urban fabric and idea of community, and said the structure avoids a "woodsy" solution to architectural problems. 'It's a simple structure with rigor,' he said." (See Sam Bennett, Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.com, "AIA awards celebrate new school of simplicity," published 10/24/2001, accessed 11/07/2024.)

PCAD id: 25518