Scout Lake in Seattle Magazine

Designed by Stephenson Design Collective, featured in Seattle Magazine’s January/February 2024 issue. Photos by Kevin Scott.

What began as Minecraft visualizations by the client (and former Minecraft Chief Creative Officer) for a future residence on Ames Lake is now a home for a growing family, with a permeable first floor opening up to the water and bedrooms nestled amongst the trees. Our Scout Lake project is designed by Stephenson Design Collective and built by us.

Inside the waterfront home, the double-height living room is complete with a two-story fireplace. Designed to be viewed from all sides, the wood-burning hearth features a 20-foot wall of continuous blackened steel fabricated in the Dovetail Metal Shop. The main level's board formed concrete and walls of Quantum glass create a permeable first floor that opens up to the forest and Ames Lake waterfront.

“The upper level cantilevers 16 feet over its surroundings in the way a camp cabin sits above its site. Expansive windows and sliding glass doors blend indoors and out.” — Sean Meyers for Seattle Magazine

“A floating stairway is another astonishing accomplishment, made possible by an ingenious large concrete form devised by the general contractor, Dovetail General Contractors.” — Sean Meyers for Seattle Magazine

A collaboration between Dovetail, Stephenson Design Collective, Hjorth Consulting, and Nickerson Structural Engineering, the 250-pound concrete treads are supported on a steel stringer by three bolted connections. The surrounding glass window and wall system utilizes steel framing posts for the steel stringers to be welded in. Construction sequencing was achieved through hoisting and securing each tread from above on a temporary floor we built for installation, using a crane and gantry that allowed each stair to be raised.

The kitchen features casework fabricated by the Dovetail Wood Shop, made of white oak, both dark stained and clear stained, and opens up to the outdoors.

“The outdoor patio protected by the cantilever has become their favorite space. ‘We watch the birds and bees and otters and whatever else come by,’ Michael Persson [client] says.” — Sean Meyers for Seattle Magazine

“Hold onto the thing that you really want. They did an awesome job of creating something that, from all angles, was exactly what we asked for.” — Michael Persson [client] for Seattle Magazine

Read the full article by Sean Meyers here.