Alec's, Dyes Inlet, Architectural Achievement
Trip Start
Nov 19, 2007
1
80
169
Trip End
Ongoing
Bainbridge Island,
Washington,
United States
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Alec, aka "Chicken Man" who to me is aka "Steak Man".....has now earned the name...."Architect Man".
Andy and I were invited by Alec to join his mom Lynn and stepdad Gary, for a skiff ride to Dyes Inlet, to check out the house and property Alec and his partners at "arKINETIC", 9009 Woodbank Drive, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 (360) 297-5511; have designed and are in the process of building. A glorious undertaking on Washington's awesome coastline.
We took off at around 1:00pm from Manzanita Bay with Alec at the helm. The day is overcast yet warm and windless enough for a smooth and comfortable ride. In about 25 minutes we see a remarkable structure begin to appear. The roof line looks like the house could fly yet the two wings of perfect cedar keep us grounded and safe on Earth. We arrive and begin the tour with Alec as our expert guide at the boat house foundation work. Alex shows us how the forms are built so the concrete pour will be imprinted with the natural design of wood grain and board breaks instead of the normal plywood form impressions
Taking off from Manzanita Bay
. This wood grain concrete theme will repeat itself throughout the house and landscape. It couldn't be described better than Alec's in own words, "This is as sexy as it gets!", as he patted the wall fondly. It is true...the look of this proceedure, even now, before moss and lichen have grown and given the concrete more interest and color, is substantial and yet soft at the same time. Most effective,charming and sexy.My (Andy writing now) senses of sight, smell and touch are all fully aroused as soon as we reach the building. Alec's use of clear cedar, glass, aluminum, steel and concrete made me appreciate what a building can be if you let go and break away from conformity. I had to keep stopping to either feel the smooth surface of the aluminum, smell the aroma of the ceder, look at the wood grain left on the concrete, admire the artistic design of the steel work, imagine the water features being completed with running water or take in the feel of the space where I was standing. What an honor to be able to tour the construction with the designer. So many details to address and all of them beautifully acomplished. The views were exceptional, but the real treat for me was the design of the structures and the way they all fit the land. Bravo!
Rain came and went a few times as we were touring the property and asking millions of questions. Alec has thought of so many details and good ideas for living well, on the water with children and guests, that the property speaks for itself in most cases
overcast and awesome
. We kept saying, "Wow! This is great!" The technology, metal working and wood craftmanship is evident everywhere. Bravo is right! I hope the pictures do it justice.As we headed on out to boat back in the rain, the sky cleared, mostly, and we had a dry but chilly ride home. Alec, being the ever gracious tour guide, showed us a closer look at the Bremerton Naval Yard. Then took us in to a few coves to see how gorgeous this coastline is!
Arriving back onto the shores of Manzanita, Andy and I went to the RV to warm up and chop some veggies for dinner. Lynn, Gary and Alec went home to do the same. Mercury picked me up at the RV and we drove over to have dinner at Alec's. Andy and Carlee decided to leave the partying to us and stayed behind in their respective homes for a quieter night.
Merc and I once again enjoyed one of Alec's famous steak dinners! Unbelieveably delicious! Perfectly cooked and rubbed with cracked black pepper and salt. YUM!! He accompanied the steaks with garlic mashed potatoes, corn-on-the-cob and an avocado, tomato and onion salad. I added a stir fry and some fresh picked Washington cherries for dessert. Merc served up the wine he brought to enhance the meal. I thoroughly enjoyed the meal and the conversation. I hope I get to meet up with Alec, Lynn and Gary again and again!
Tired and inspired and full of good cheer, Merc and I drove home. I fell asleep after another wonderful day in the Northwest. Mercury has a wonderful life filled with good friends and lots of love. We are so blessed to get to be a part of it for a while.
