Secret Garden Residence near Lake Washington

 8718 Overlake Drive West, Medina, WA, United States

Architects: Olson Kundig

Photography © Aaron Leitz

>>>

Secret Garden Residence is a private residence designed by the renowned American architectural firm Olson Kundig in Medina, Washington. The philosophy of the Japanese garden lies at the heart of the residence’s concept: it creates an atmosphere of tranquillity and complete immersion, in which the landscape, architecture and natural light blend harmoniously into a single whole. The design is intended to visually expand the space of the relatively small plot, gradually revealing the serene beauty of the house.

The house is situated on a narrow, wooded plot, next to Lake Washington. Organized around a central south-facing courtyard with two garden terraces above, the home’s composition brings the landscape inside, creating an intimate interior garden that extends beyond the limits of the site.

Kevin Kudo-King, FAIA, LEED AP, Design Principal: “With Secret Garden Residence, we were interested in how the architecture could make a compact site feel expansive. Inspired by the experience of a Japanese garden, the design unfolds through a sequence of spaces and views, revealing itself gradually rather than all at once.”

Thanks to the floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows and the glazed gallery, the living areas open up completely onto the courtyard, allowing daylight to flood deep into the interior. The windows frame magnificent views of the sky, water and trees.

The property has 4 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms, spread over two levels. The courtyard also features twin mirror-image swimming pools.

The landscape, created by designer David Ohashi, harmoniously combines colourful Japanese maples, austere black pines and granite boulders, emphasising an Eastern aesthetic.

Secret Garden Residence Where Architecture, Landscape & Light Converge  on Instagram: