1989-1990 Western Home Awards - includes 20 winners in this year's biennial program

Sunset, Oct, 1989

The houses sit on loop roads or cul-de-sacs that form little "villages" within the larger whole. The six models have two or three bedrooms and range from 2,503 to 2,706 square feet. Single-story, two-story, and split-level plans are sited to suit the dictates of terrain, trees, and privacy. Exteriors are stucco or board-and-batten, with fireproof roof tiles in three tones. Paint used on outside walls comprises a carefully coordinated palette of a dozen earth tones. In some cases, garages are detached to enhance privacy, and backyard fencing appears only where needed for screening.

Warm and bright, interiors benefit from plenty of natural light. Every model gives play to the drama of high interior volumes, offset in places by the coziness of lowered ceilings. Lavish master suites and large kitchens, many of both with second fireplaces and sitting areas, promote comfortable, casual living.

CITATION / Hobbs Architecture Group, Seattle, for Lynne Breiland and Richard Hobbs At first sight, this cabin complex makes you feel as if you've arrived at summer camp. But if you consider the objectives met by the seemingly random juxtaposition of elements, this vacation retreat makes sophisticated architectural sense.

At the core of the complex is a one-room, 527-square-foot structure with sitting, cooking, and eating areas on the main floor and a 197-square-foot sleeping loft overhead. Since the loft floats in the center of the space, away from all four walls, both levels of the cabin enjoy the doubleheight volume.

This wide-open arrangement offers a delightful adult getaway. But what happens when children or guests arrive? The solution: a separate two-room bunkhouse. The bathroom, too, gets an outbuilding of its own-linked to the main house by a bridge-like enclosed boardwalk that also serves as entry, closet, and mudroom. By separating the buildings for privacy and positioning them for views, the owner-architect's design enhances the pleasures of a San Juan Island retreat while keeping any sense of crowding or cabin fever at bay The three structures sit lightly above the forest floor, resting on concrete piers and linked by elevated boardwalks.

AWARD OF MERIT / Banta/Collins Architecture, Emeryville, California, for Francis D. Collins Strong geometry, classical elements, and specially treated finish materials give this structure an air of permanence and ceremony that works remarkably well within the natural beauty of Stinson Beach, California. The 2,100-square-foot house serves as an easy-to-care-for, year-round retreat for family and friends.

A stately rotunda is the heart of the house, serving as both formal entry and link between living and sleeping wings. The living wing extends farthest back, protecting the courtyard from prevailing west winds. The bedroom wing stops short to open up living room views and create an outdoor sitting area off the master bedroom. Monumental columns, aligned with those marking the end of the living wing, define this sitting area and preserve the plan's disciplined symmetry.