AIA Seattle Home of Distinction: Gear Loft

Ray and Mary Johnston, owners of Johnston Architects of Seattle and co-architects of Gear Loft, have had a vacation home in Methow Valley for 32 years and have finished about 30 projects in the area.

Because the structure is an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit), the architects had more flexibility in designs. ADU codes allow for a steep ship’s ladder alternating tread stairway to the 150-square-foot sleeping loft. Climbing-grip handrails along the stairway increase safety.

The plywood provides a strong base for hanging equipment, “but I also like the way it looks,” Johnston says. “Last time I checked, it’s about $50 a sheet, but that’s about what sheetrock would cost once it gets taped and painted, and you’re not going to poke a hole in plywood when you’re banging around a piece of equipment.”

Gear Loft is the fourth ADU project by Johnston Architects. Per-foot construction costs were only about 10 percent less expensive than what an average urban home might cost, but include bringing services to the property and a septic system, which will help reduce the cost of the primary residence when it is finished, Johnston says.

This article appears in its entirety in the March 2021 issue of Seattle Magazine.

climbing grip handholds along the ladder to the loft reflect the recreational nature of the space / photo by benjamin drummond