项目名称： Uparati别墅

地点： 惠德贝岛，美国

设计团队： Wittman Estes

建筑面积： 1880 ft²

竣工时间： 2024年

摄影： Andrew Pogue

设计特色：

项目 - Uparati别墅由Wittman Estes设计，坐落在惠德贝岛起伏的地形之上，是一个展现建筑克制和生态敏感性的杰作。这座1880平方英尺的现代度假屋通过优先考虑与自然环境的深度连接，挑战了传统住宅设计理念。

项目的核心理念源自梵语"uparati"（意为静止），并被巧妙地转化为建筑语言。建筑师Matt Wittman和Jody Estes精心打造了这座住宅，它不仅仅是占据景观，更成为景观的有机组成部分。房屋仿佛悬浮在草地之上，其雪松外表与周围的蓝燕麦草和墨西哥羽毛草自然融为一体。

创新的可持续性是设计的核心。通过采用地面框架基础系统，与传统混凝土基础相比，碳足迹减少了77%。建筑结构遵循精确的4英尺网格，使用现成的TJI梁，创造出理性、经济的施工方法，同时保持美学优雅。

室内设计体现了极简主义风格，胶合板墙面、雪松榫槽天花板和白橡木地板营造出中性背景，让戏剧性的景观成为主要视觉焦点。落地窗消除了室内外的界限，提供了通向无用湾和奥林匹克山脉的全景视野。

Uparati别墅不仅仅是一座房子，更是一个冥想圣所——一处现代度假胜地，邀请居住者停下脚步，思考，重新与自然世界建立联系。

团队 - Wittman Estes建筑事务所由Matt Wittman和Jody Estes于2012年创立，已发展成为一家致力于重新定义建筑环境与自然景观关系的先锋建筑事务所。该事务所位于西雅图历史悠久的乔治城社区，以其超越传统建筑界限的整体设计方法而闻名。

事务所因其创新的住房解决方案和景观整合而备受业界赞誉，曾获得美国建筑师协会全国住房奖，并多次在众多著名建筑平台上发表作品。事务所的设计理念着重于创造室内外相互融合的互联空间，积极应对城市密集化和气候挑战。

在创始人Matt Wittman、Jody Estes以及主要合伙人Ashton Wesely的带领下，事务所已在太平洋西北部、加利福尼亚和纽约等地完成了大量住宅和多户型项目。他们的作品以对可持续发展的严格承诺、材料创新和重视人与自然环境连接的体验式设计为特色。

凭借多学科的建筑师和设计师团队，Wittman Estes继续推动当代建筑实践的边界，提供既环保又深度契合人性体验的综合设计解决方案。

Project Name: Whidbey Uparati House

Location: Whidbey Island, United States

Design Team: Wittman Estes

Total Floor Area: 1,880 sq ft

Completion: 2024

Photography: Andrew Pogue

Feature:

Project - Nestled on the rolling landscape of Whidbey Island, the Uparati House by Wittman Estes emerges as a masterful exercise in architectural restraint and ecological sensitivity. Spanning 1,880 square feet, this contemporary retreat challenges traditional notions of residential design by prioritizing a profound connection with its natural surroundings.

The project's core philosophy revolves around the Sanskrit concept of "uparati" – meaning stillness – which is eloquently translated into architectural language. Architects Matt Wittman and Jody Estes have crafted a dwelling that doesn't merely occupy the landscape but becomes an integral part of it. The house appears to float above a meadow, its cedar-clad exterior blending seamlessly with the native Blue Oat Grasses and Mexican Feather Grasses that surround it.

Innovative sustainability is at the heart of the design. By employing a Ground Frame foundation system, the architects dramatically reduced the carbon footprint by 77% compared to traditional concrete foundations. The structure follows a precise 4-foot grid, utilizing off-the-shelf TJIs and creating a rational, cost-effective construction method that doesn't compromise on aesthetic elegance.

The interior is a testament to minimalist design, with plywood walls, cedar tongue and groove ceilings, and white oak floors creating a neutral canvas that allows the dramatic landscape to become the primary visual narrative. Floor-to-ceiling windows transform the boundaries between interior and exterior, offering panoramic views of Useless Bay and the Olympic Mountains.

More than just a house, the Uparati House is a meditative sanctuary – a contemporary retreat that invites its inhabitants to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the natural world.

Design Team - Founded in 2012 by Matt Wittman and Jody Estes, Wittman Estes has emerged as a vanguard architectural practice committed to reimagining the relationship between built environments and natural landscapes. Situated in the historic Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle, the firm has distinguished itself through a holistic design approach that transcends traditional architectural boundaries.

Recognized for their innovative housing solutions and landscape integration, Wittman Estes has garnered significant industry acclaim, including the AIA National Housing Award and multiple publications in prestigious architectural platforms like Dezeen, ArchDaily, and Dwell. The firm's design philosophy centers on creating interconnected spaces that blur the lines between interior and exterior, responding critically to urban densification and climate challenges.

Led by founding principals Matt Wittman and Jody Estes, alongside principal Ashton Wesely, the practice has developed a robust portfolio of residential and multi-family projects spanning the Pacific Northwest, California, and New York. Their work is characterized by a rigorous commitment to sustainability, material innovation, and experiential design that prioritizes human connection to natural environments.

With a multidisciplinary team of architects and designers, Wittman Estes continues to push the boundaries of contemporary architectural practice, offering integrated design solutions that are both environmentally responsive and deeply attuned to human experience.