Houses By Design: Dynamite DADU
December 2024/January 2025
The DADU features an efficient layout with a bathroom in the front corner of the first floor, allowing the kitchen and dining area to extend the length of the home.
Taller single-staircase buildings could provide more housing options
November 2024
“It really illustrates the upside of being able to design with one stair, because the project wouldn’t exist if I had to add another,” said Matt Hutchins, a principal at Cast Architecture in Seattle, in an interview about Jansen Court.
Horseshoe house
November / December 2024
Read the Full Issue Online Here
View a PDF of the Article Here
A Methow Valley home welcomes fresh air and sunlight with a courtyard centered design
Facing south to capture the mountain beauty of Washington’s Methow Valley, the horse-shoe shaped home opens to the outdoors with both a broad and sunny front porch and a sheltered rear courtyard. Deep eaves provide help with the heavy winter snow and also provide shade during bright summer days.
Houses By Design: Small and Tudor Style
October 2024
Read the Article Online Here
View a PDF of the Article Here
A 1,225 sq.ft. detached ADU uses a sloping lot to its advantage, featuring a split-level entrance and vaulted ceilings.
This detached accessory dwelling unit design brings forward a model of urban density while providing a private home that shares a courtyard with two other households. The 1225-sq.-ft. modern Tudor-style cottage in a modified split-level design has three bedrooms, one-and-a half baths, flexible utility space, and creative storage.
Hybrid outdoor preschools:
A new solution for the childcare crisis
September 2024
A prototype for a simple support structure enables nature-based preschools to remain open rain, shine, or smoke, allowing them to be more widely and equitably adopted.
By Forrest Murphy, CAST architecture
Read the Article on the DJC Website Here
View a PDF of the Article Here
A growing body of scientific literature demonstrates significant benefits to young children from nature-based education. Some of these evidence-backed benefits are seemingly self-evident, such as increased physical activity correlating with lower levels of childhood obesity and enhanced motor-skills development. Constantly changing weather is a direct stimulus that develops resilience and self-regulation. Regular exposure to nature is widely recognized as reducing stress levels in people of all ages.
AIA Washington Council 2024 Civic Design Awards
September 2024
View the Project on the AIA Website Here
Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Hatchery & Beach Shelter, Kingston, WA
Honorable Mention
2024 AIA/WA Civic Design Awards
Client: Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe
Located on the beach at Point Julia on land occupied by the Tribe since time immemorial, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Hatchery and Beach Shelter combines pragmatic uses with highly symbolic content. Salmon fishing is central to both the Tribe’s traditional identity and its contemporary outlook. This project recognizes the cultural importance of both the place and the program, allowing these activities to flourish in the 21st century.
extra space
August 2024
Read the Article Online Here (Page 22-23)
View a PDF of the Article Here
“Knowing that Seattle has been on the forefront of maximizing ADU construction, I turned to the City’s ADUniverse website as a resource. One handy tool… there is a list of pre-approved ADU plans, and that list featured our ideal model — CAST architecture’s Cedar Cottage.”
— Homeowner, Bree O’Brien
A GATHERING PLACE - the berm house
July/August 2024
Read the Article Online Here (page 83)
View a PDF of the Article Here
A Centerpiece for a Cohousing Community in Washington's Methow Valley is a Sustainable Home to Share
“We wanted a community with all ages, incomes, and life experiences that could learn from each other,” he says. Whittaker turned to Seattle’s CAST architecture—a firm with a strong reputation for creating affordable housing—to design the new McKinney Ridge community. Matt Hutchins, CAST principal, helped with the master plan, including one special home at the heart of the community.”
New zoning laws are inspiring builders to get creative with nontraditional housing
May 13, 2024
CAST’S Spokane six…
The sixplex design offers several advantages over larger apartments, Hutchins says. Instead of just one wall being open to the outdoors, the sixplex will have windows on three sides of each unit, allowing every room plentiful views of the outdoors.
multigenerational living
May 5, 2024
Architect Stefan Hampden of CAST Architecture added this 560-square-foot accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to the Windermere home his father-in-law, Jim Nelson, bought with his wife in the 1980s. The vaulted ceiling in the living room mirrors that of the main home's living room, but Nelson's favorite space just might be the heated porch outside (to the right), where he can hang out with his friends and watch TV through the big windows (there's an outdoor speaker).
Op-Ed: Building the Seattle we want with the Growth we’ll have
April 29, 2024
Seattle is growing. How do we make room for new housing and create the kind of city we want to live in?
Houzz Kitchen of the Week: Beer, Shuffleboard and Pizza
Bring the Fun
April 18, 2024
Entertaining features and a warm industrial style create a lively atmosphere in this revamped Craftsman bungalow space.
As Spokane smashes building permit records, a planned South Hill sixplex offers hints at the city's dense future
April 4, 2024
The Spokane Six is designed to fit on any traditionally sized housing parcel, so once the first one on Grand Boulevard is finished, Hutchins' firm hopes to build more across the city.
The Spokane Six is an example of what's become known as "middle housing."
It's a category that includes duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, and other small, low-intensity developments that sit in between single-family homes and large apartment buildings.
Middle housing serves a lot of people's needs and is "generally more accessible, a little bit more affordable and a higher quality of living than a big apartment building," Hutchins says.
Low Profile, High Ideals
Super efficient Berm House reflects a vision of community
Spring 2024
View a PDF of the Article Here
The Berm House is a multi-functional space designed to meet the needs of an evolving community. It celebrates the community's connection to the larger landscape of the Methow Valley and the site's agricultural heritage.
ADUs the Perfect Housing Solution
March 2024
You can find it on Amazon Here
CAST’s Cedar Cottage, featured in the book, is a City of Seattle Pre-approved Plan for Backyard Cottages.
UNLOCK MIDDLE HOUSING WITH PARKING REFORM
March 18, 2024
ON SMALL LOTS, PARKING CAN BE A BIG PROBLEM
A Tribute to Resilience: Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe’s new salmon hatchery shines
Spring 2024
Read the Article Here / View PDF of Article Here
The architecture incorporates traditional indigenous Coast Salish design elements, including a shed roof, cedar plank siding and concrete pilings submerged deep in the beach. The new hatchery was designed specifically with rising sea levels in mind.
Will Seattle's new growth plan produce enough housing for newcomers?
March 6, 2024
On the other hand, architect Matt Hutchins said the plan doesn't change low-density neighborhoods enough. "I think this is a missed opportunity. Everyone is feeling the housing crunch," he said, adding that Seattle's only introducing a small increment of housing to existing neighborhoods.
An uncertain forecast for middle housing
February 29, 2024
View a PDF of the Article Here
Read the Article on the DJC Website Here
Cities and states are making room for ADUs, townhouses, cottage clusters and other denser housing on residential lots, but not yet fast enough to meet housing demand.
It's time for Minnesota to allow taller buildings with a single staircase
January 2, 2024
Seattle, which has grappled with extreme housing shortage and affordability challenges for years, allows single-staircase buildings up to six stories, with sprinkler systems and other restrictions for fire safety.
Pictured: CAST's Jansen Court
CAST named to 2024 Mountain Living List: Top Architects
January / February 2024
Mountain Living compiled this catalog of architects to recognize the top talent in the Mountain West based on recommendations they received from photographers, homeowners, architects, designers, and their staff.
Give Middle Housing a shot!
December 3, 2023
Matt Hutchins’ comprehensive discussion of the Washington state Model Code for Middle Housing and how we can have it produce more housing in line with HB1110.
"I have analyzed the real world implications of how it would regulate new housing and how we can tweak it to better support the creation of townhouses, flats, and infill development." -- Matt Hutchins, AIA
Spokane permanently relaxes regulations allowing more multiplexes and development flexibility
November 22, 2023
“It’s been kind of a revelation,” said Matt Hutchins, an architect who sits on the Seattle Planning Commission and is working to develop a six-plex on Grand Boulevard that would have been illegal to build two years ago.
“What’s happening from a zoning perspective is something that is honestly not happening anywhere else in Washington, and maybe not even in the United States,” Hutchins added. “It’s really exceptional.”
Mixed-use development proposed in Winthrop
November 23, 2023
The proposed RiversMeet development would include residential, commercial and office space at the former Methow Conservancy headquarters site on Riverside Avenue in Winthrop.
Housing advocates weigh in on approved Spokane multi-family building ordinance
November 21, 2023
Read the Article and Watch the Video Here
Matt Hutchins with CAST architecture in Seattle is already planning on opening a door for at least six Spokane families. He’s developing plans for a six-plex off of Grand Blvd. He said the existing home is vacant and will be torn down to be rebuilt and accommodate six households.
Living in Living Color
October 22, 2023
Read the Article Here
Bright Spots in History - CAST's Clubhouse
THE CLUBHOUSE. With its soaring butterfly roof, extra-wide red eaves and sunshine-yellow back entrance, this renovated home (now with a new second floor) looks through a colorful lens at a Phinney Ridge backyard filled with greenery galore and a waterfall that obscures street noise. (Benjamin Benschneider / The Seattle Times, 2016)
'Berm House' is a new centerpiece for growing Methow Valley community
October 11, 2023
CAST's response is a unique, low-profile house that expertly frames surrounding views and incorporates innovative sustainability solutions and technology, including CLT and passive house design principles.
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce
October 7, 2023
Project of the Week: Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe Hatchery & Beach Shelter
The project shows the tribe’s history of salmon fishing and rearing in the area while continuing those traditions in a modern facility.
A Horseshoe-Shaped Cabin in the Pacific Northwest Brings the Outside In
August, 2023
The courtyard-hugging layout of the single-story home in Washington’s Methow Valley is truly something special: a warm, welcoming architectural delight nestled in the thick of a pine forest, yet flooded with light.
An earth-sheltered form fit for weather extremes
August 2023
Methow Valley home relies on Passive House principles, superinsulation, advanced air sealing, cross-laminated timber panels, and a green roof to meet sustainability goals.
This tiny home built in a Seattle backyard was designed to maximize sunlight in one of the rainiest cities in America
July 2023
By Kelsey Neubauer, Matt Hutchins contributing
There have been a growing number of accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, popping up in backyards in Seattle. Insider spoke with Matt Hutchins, one of the architects designing these new abodes, to get a sense of what some of these units are like.
State Model Code for Middle Housing is Missing Enough Housing, By Matt Hutchins (Guest Contributor)
July 2023
"Now that Washington State’s Middle Housing bill (HB1110) has been signed into law, the next question is what implementation will look like — what kind of housing and where."
Budget Breakdown: They DIYed a $212K ADU—and Loved It So Much That They Moved Right In
July 2023
"A Seattle couple built their own backyard house with a city-sponsored design—and then rented out their old home on the property to friends."
How will ‘missing middle’ zoning impact Seattle housing?
June 2023
View the Article on Crosscut Here
"Enter missing middle housing: two- to six-unit homes that provide greater density than single-family houses."
Bringing Light and Life to a Lake Washington Redesign
March 23, 2023
Tim Hammer and his team at CAST got creative with a plan that overcame the barriers and resulted in a design that fits the family’s lifestyle and taste, and makes the most of their home’s stunning surroundings.
1912 Craftsman Renovation
June 2023
View the Article on Fine Homebuilding Here
View a PDF of the Article Here
The renovation team figured out how to maintain historical details while updating this home to meet current needs.
A “People Place” By Design
April 2023
View the Article on ISSUU Here
The Mazama Public House was Conceived with Community in Mind
“The long communal tables were always indicative of the way we were thinking about the place. You come in and you’re part of the community. You share a table and suddenly you’re in conversation with a person you’ve never met before. It’s a fun opportunity.”
-- Stefan Hampden, CAST architecture
ADU construction now outpacing single-family developments in Seattle
April 10, 2023
View the Article on Archinect Here
Citywide, two-thirds of all new single-family designs built last year included at least one ADU in their construction.
Small Apartments from 100 years ago offer townhome alternative
March 28, 2023
View the Article on KUOW / NPR Here
Hutchins explains why it's important to bring four- to six-unit buildings like the Cowboy Hotel back, rather than just building more townhomes.
“Because they’re more efficient," he says. "Less stairways, they’re cheaper to build." Second, "because they’re relatively compact, they’re more energy efficient." And third, "because of that compact form, there’s actually more space in the back to preserve tree canopy and a garden in the backyard.”
Backyard Cottages take off in Seattle
March 8, 2023
View the Article on KUOW / NPR Here
Pictured: A backyard cottage in Crown Hill by Cast architecture. The firm has been a leader in promoting backyard cottages in Seattle.
Seattle is Now Building More ADUs than Single Houses
February 2023
View Article on The Seattle Times Here
Read a PDF of the Article Here
Steenstra and Cloud each used an ADU design by CAST Architecture that’s among 10 preapproved by the city, under a program meant to expedite permits.
Edelweiss house in the methow valley
February 2023
View Article on Portrait Magazine Here
Read a PDF of the Article Here
CAST architecture and Bjornsen Construction fashion a Mazama Home that not only frames stunning views, but is tailor-made to the owners' lifestyle.
CAST Named to 2023 Mountain Living List: Top Architects
January 2023
Mountain Living compiled this catalog of architects to recognize the top talent in the Mountain West based on recommendations they received from photographers, homeowners, architects, designers, and their staff.
SEATTLE DAILY JOURNAL OF COMMERCE
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
EL CENTRO de la Raza Roosevelt Early Learning Center
January 9, 2023
El Centro de la Raza Roosevelt Early Learning Center
The 6,470 SF, 4-classroom early learning center is a part of resident services for cedar crossing’s affordable housing units.
Daily journal of commerce
November 2022
Mazama Public House Project of the Week
The Mazama Public House was designed to be a gathering spot for the community of Mazama, at the north end of Washington’s Methow Valley.
Daily journal of commerce
September 2022
A Look Inside El Centro de la Raza's new Early Learning Center in Roosevelt
Daily journal of commerce
September 2022
Feasibility and Design in Early Learning Education
Good design can help reinforce the mission of the early learning center.
Daily journal of commerce
September 2022
A Look Inside Mazama’s Newest Public House
The Mazama Public House is designed to transform depending on weather or function. It features exposed mass timber and wood beams punctuated by blackened steel and concrete floors.
Seattle Times Pacific NW Magazine
May 8, 2022
Deep Research and Deep Respect Drive the Remodel of a Modern Landmark on Queen Anne
tiny homes magazine
Summer 2021
A Can-Do Studio
- Stacey Freed
The Wall Street Journal
December 10, 2020
The House of Tomorrow
- Michelle Wa, Kevin Hand, Yan Wu
- Illustration: Kevin Hand
2020 Committee & Volunteer Awards
Matt Hutchins, AIA
Volunteer Award
2020 Foothills Magazine July/August
Elegant Bear Creek home unobtrusively captures Pearrygin panorama
- Marcy Stamper
2020 Methow Home
Elegant Bear Creek home unobtrusively captures Pearrygin panorama
- Marcy Stamper
Seattle Backyard Cottage Legislation
Seattle Mayor, Jenny Durkan, signs Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit legislation at a backyard cottage designed by CAST architecture.
Policy Resource Guide June 2019
Green Zoning: Accelerating Smart Growth in Single Family Zones by Matt Hutchins, CAST architecture
Building new communities
Methow Home, 2019
- Ashley Lodato
dwell.com
Nelson Cabin, April 2018
”20 Modern Winter Cabins We’d Love to Hole Up In”, January 2019
- Bryon Loker and Michele Koh Morollo
1889 magazine
Ashworth Residence, December 2018
”Statement Makers”
- Melissa Dalton
puget sound business journal
Ashworth Residence, April 2018
”Sneak Peek: Seattle’s modern home tour showcases Pacific Northwest aesthetic”
- Anthony Bolante
2017 PRESERVATION AWARD CATEGORY - OUTSTANDING MODERN PRESERVATION AWARD
A New Spin on Group Living in Seattle
A married couple and their best friend get together to create a functional modern home for all
Houzz Tour, 2016
- Amy Azzarito
HO RESIDENCE
150 Best of the Best House Ideas
- Francesc Zamora Mola
HOME DESIGN TRENDS
Alaska Beyond Magazine
- Renee Brincks
THE GRAND CONNECTION VISIONING CHARRETTE
City of Bellevue | Bellevue Arts Museum
WELCOME TO THE CLUBHOUSE
Seattle Times Pacific NW Magazine
- Sandy Deneau Dunham
HOME ON THE RANGE
Portrait Magazine vol. 32
- Shannon O'Leary
THE HOUSE OUT BACK
The Best of FineHomebuilding
Small Homes Fall 2015
- Tim Hammer
THE RANCHERO
FineHomebuilding Magazine September 2015
-Maureen Friedman
SAVING GRACES
Green Building feature article
Alaska Airlines Magazine July 2015
-Renee Brincks
READER'S CHOICE AWARD
2015 Annual Houses Issue
FineHomebuilding Spring/Summer 2015
- Maureen Friedman
LITTLE HOUSE IN THE VALLEY
A Contemporary Ski Cabin Shines in Methow Valley
Seattle Met, Nov. 2014
- Angela Cabotaje
An Open and Airy Backyard Cottage
Seattle Magazine November 2014
- Shannon O'Leary
Modernism the Family-Friendly Way
Houzz Tour, 2014
- Melisa Bleasdale
Reasons to Love Narrow Homes
Houzz Design Workshop, 2014
- Eric Reinholdt
All Play, Not Much Work
Methow Home, 2014
- Don Nelson
A Base Camp Designed for Adventure, Durability and Style
Houzz Tour, 2014
- John Hill
2013 Green Remodeling Excellence Award
Northwest Eco Building Guild - 2013 Green Home Tour
Anderson Residence, 2013
A City Farm Takes Root in Rainier Beach
Seattle Times, May 2013
- Valerie Easton
Urban Intervention Competition for the Seattle Center
Next 50 - Exhibit of Most Inspiring Designs, 2012
Built-Ins Idea Book
Taunton Press, 2012
- Joanne Kellar Bouknight
Carriage-House Comeback
Best Small Home Award 2012
FineHomebuilding, Spring 2012
- Matt Hutchins
Kitchen Idea Book
Taunton Press, 2012
- Joanne Kellar Bouknight
Cottage Cute
July 2011
- Shannon O'Leary
New Edge, New Blood
AIA Seattle Forum Magazine, Spring 2011
Northwest Eco Building Guild - 2011 Green Home Tour
Widner Cottage, 2011
Ideas for a Renewable City, featuring Sunset Substation Park
AIA Seattle Forum Magazine, Spring 2011
Victorian Revolution
Seattle Homes and Lifestyles, January/February 2011
10x10x10 2010 Presenter - Sunset Substation
Northwest Eco Building Guild, September 2010
Bungalow Comb-over
Fine Homebuilding, Houses: 2010
Greening Cities Growing Communities
Jeffery Hou, Julie M. Johnson, Laura J. Lawson
University of Washington Press, 2009
10x10x10 2009 Presenter - Fremont Townhomes
Northwest Eco Building Guild, September 2009
Interbay P-patch Garden Hub
Pro Bono Action Tank, 2009
Sweat Equity
Forbes, August 2009
Fremont's Fab 5
Seattle Magazine, July 2009
The Best Of Fine Homebuilding
Kitchen and Bath Planning Guide: 2009
2009 Top 50 Northwest Architects
Northwest Home, January 2009
Making a Galley Kitchen Count
Fine Homebuilding, Kitchen and Bath: 2008
Design Your Dwelling 2008
Dwell, September: 2008
Top 50 Remodelers
Northwest Home, 2008
Wonder Walls
Northwest Home, March: 2008
Small and Smart
Northwest Home, March: 2008
Kitchen Comfort
Northwest Home, January: 2008
The Pro-Bono Client
Architecture Boston, Nov/Dec 2007
Room For Improvement
Seattle Homes and Lifestyles, November 2007
Built Green Award
King County/Seattle Built Green™ incentive award for Holt Townhouses, 2007
Family Retreat
Seattle Homes & Lifestyles May: 2007
Beautiful Baths
Northwest Home + Garden Jan-Feb: 2006
Fab 50 Remodelers
Northwest Home + Garden Sept-Oct: 2005
Bright Light Big City
Costal Living, November-December 2003
The Untheoretical Joys of Design-Build
Architecture Magazine: November 2003
transPIER
AIA honor award: 2000