Colman Park House / Office Of Ordinary Architecture

Architects: Office of Ordinary Architecture
Area: 185 m²
Year: 2024
Photography: Emily Keeney
Principal Architect: Sandy Wolf
Design Team: Ciera Shaver
Collaborators: Kaleb Kerr, LLC
Interior design: Office of Ordinary Architecture
Structural engineer: Carter Quinn Norlin
Builder: Kaleb Kerr, LLC
City: Seattle, Washington
Country: United States

Colman Park House residential renovation designed by Office of Ordinary Architecture in Seattle reconfigures a mid-century dwelling to enhance interior connectivity, clarify circulation, and strengthen its integration with the surrounding landscape. Completed in 2024, the project introduces an open stair to connect a newly programmed basement studio with the main floor, adds a new primary suite, and revises the entry sequence with a garage and raised deck. Exterior updates unify the structure through Shou Sugi Ban siding and fiberglass-framed windows, while a compact kitchen-side addition introduces a breakfast nook and a park-facing deck suspended within the tree canopy of Colman Park.

Colman park house / office of ordinary architecture

Colman Park House originated when the owners, based in Texas at the time, discovered a 1940s home for sale in Seattle. Despite its proximity to downtown, the house felt isolated due to its placement along the edge of Colman Park. The park, originally designed by the Olmsted Brothers, surrounds the property on two sides and establishes a dense tree canopy that gives the home a treehouse-like character. Once the owners decided to relocate permanently, they commissioned Office of Ordinary Architecture to reimagine the property for long-term residential use.

The design response was shaped by the unique qualities of the site. The wooded perimeter offered a rare level of privacy for an urban location. According to the architects, the additions were inspired by this edge condition. “We wanted to take advantage of the uniquely private site and add opportunities to embrace the nature outside.” This intention led to the creation of two new decks and a breakfast nook that opens toward the trees, designed to evoke the sensation of living within the forest canopy.

At the time of intervention, the house had been altered in ways that compromised both functionality and cohesion. The basement could only be accessed from the exterior, the entry lacked definition, and the original layout included two undersized bedrooms. Office of Ordinary Architecture addressed these issues by introducing an open stair at the interior, transforming the lower level into a usable studio, and creating vertical continuity. A new garage, entry deck, and reorganized entry sequence established a more legible approach to the home.

The existing two-bedroom arrangement was replaced with a single, efficient primary suite. This shift in layout allowed for better use of the available space while avoiding unnecessary expansion. Materially, the design sought to create a sense of permanence. In describing their approach to the existing structure, the architects stated, “We aimed to make sure that any addition looked timeless like it had always been a part of the home.” To achieve this, the design mirrored existing rooflines, maintained window spacing, and re-clad the entire house in Shou Sugi Ban siding. All windows were replaced with high-performance fiberglass frames to improve thermal performance and consistency.

A compact addition near the kitchen introduced a small deck and breakfast nook directly facing Colman Park. This element creates an informal dining area immersed in the landscape and anchors the project’s connection to its natural context. The space reinforces the treehouse quality that originally attracted the owners while expanding the everyday functionality of the home.

Colman Park House now operates as a cohesive residence adapted to its specific site. The project reestablishes internal flow, improves access, and creates meaningful connections between architecture and landscape. Through a restrained yet strategic set of interventions, the design allows the home to evolve while maintaining continuity with its original structure.