Ground Up Rebuild in Loyal Heights Seattle

BACKGROUND 

This project was a complete home remodel. The clients picked this home based on location – the Loyal Heights neighborhood in Ballard (Seattle), but they always intended to rebuild the house from the ground up. Harjo tore the original home down to the foundation. Our scope included external construction, including the siding, windows, roof and gutters. We also framed, drywalled and did plumbing rough-in inside the house and coordinated with the owner’s tradespeople on many other aspects of the build.  

GROUND UP REBUILD IN LOYAL HEIGHTS: THE CHALLENGES & STRATEGIES 

The unique architecture of this house, designed by architect Tom Nychay, is dramatically beautiful and challenging to construct. The interior is voluminous with 12-foot-tall ceilings, modern lines and steep gables. And the second floor is suspended. Throughout framing and the drywall phase, we had to take additional measures to ensure that the scaffolding was securely constructed to keep our team safe and protected from fall hazards. 

Placing the staircase was also demanding and laborious. Vulkan assembled the staircase as one unit, so when it was delivered, we had to determine the best—and safest—course of action to place it, mainly because the stairwell leading to the basement ADU was a gaping hole. Harjo used a “come along” at the top of the second-story landing and craned this massive staircase into place. Once it was in place, we bolted it to the house first, and then constructed the railing. 

The Full-View garage door on the backside of the home leads out to an elegant outdoor living space. While Harjo did not install the door, we took additional measures to prevent water infiltration from the door and adjacent folding kitchen window during framing.  

Harjo also framed and drywalled the basement accessory dwelling unit (ADU), and strategically placed the I-beam and support for the home without compromising the lower level’s floor plan flow. 

LOYAL HEIGHTS SEATTLE REBUILD: THE RESULTS 

This project showcases a modern architectural design that provides all the features our homeowner wanted—from an impressive main floor with boundless natural light and an outdoor living space ideal for entertaining all year round to incorporating a basement ADU for an added revenue stream.  

Are you ready to rebuild or renovate a home in Seattle? Contact us today at Harjo Construction. We look forward to creating the space you’ve always wanted.