August 2023 – A Featured Case Study on Built Green
Just north of the entrance to Seward Park, directly across from the water’s edge resides The Lake House. Built in 1919, the historical home was designed by renowned California-raised architect, Edwin Ivey, in the Spanish Eclectic style reminiscent of the homes found in Pasadena. A street-to-street lot, prime location, and a magical façade sparked the interest of the founders of Dwell Development, Abbey and Anthony Maschmedt. For them, it was love at first sight. Their challenge was taking the sustainability practices they employ in new homes and implementing them in a home over a century old. It was a challenge they fully embraced when they devised their plan for The Lake House 2.0.
Dwell set out to do something extraordinary with this amazing parcel located on Lake Washington Boulevard South. Their job was to solve the puzzle of taking advantage of a unique development opportunity while maintaining the original integrity of the existing home—with a little over 20,000 square feet there were endless possibilities.
Fortunately, the existing home sat on the front portion of the lot with a massive grass front yard facing the lake. Behind the house, there was an existing carriage garage, that was originally intended for a vehicle and a caretaker. Beyond the garage was a large, landscaped yard that fronted 57th Avenue South. The site being street to street, provided room for development and design.