North Bank Road House, Washington State, USA

9 North Bank Road House in Washington State

March 18, 2026

Architects: Pierre Maré Architects

Location: Mazama, Washington State, USA

photo © Michael Burn

Photos by Michael Burns, Chris Vennum

9 North Bank Road is a family home near Mazama, set within the ancient conifer forests of the North Cascades mountain range of Washington State — a landscape of outstanding natural beauty, glacial valleys, pristine lakes and extreme year-round climatic conditions.

photos © Michael Burn

The client’s brief called for a comfortable contemporary home that could withstand the harshest of seasons while negotiating the density of the surrounding pine forest and blending smoothly with its surroundings.

photo © Chris Vennum

The design draws from the vernacular of the region. A simple barn form caught our eye for its economy of expression and its proven ability to manage the local conditions — heavy winter snowfall, intense summer sun — and became the generative idea for the exterior.

photos © Michael Burn

Pre-weathered cladding and a highly insulated wall construction ensure the building is as hardwearing as it is considered.

photos © Michael Burn

Screened porches are woven into the building volume, creating a carefully managed intermediate zone between interior life and the surrounding forest. Inside, a series of interlocking spaces draws light in from above the canopy, with a predominantly white interior finish amplifying that light. Selected areas of oak to walls and cabinetry introduce warmth, balanced by hardwearing basalt stone.

photos © Michael Burn

The home sits slightly elevated from ground level, approached by landscaped earth ramps held in corten steel trays and seeded with native undergrowth species.