They Built Their Home Around a Grove of Ancient Stumps in the Washington Woods

Working closely with the contours of the site, Signal Architecture + Research designs a couple’s dream home to suit the needs of the surrounding forest—boulders and all.

Jun 4, 2025 - 18:34
They Built Their Home Around a Grove of Ancient Stumps in the Washington Woods

Working closely with the contours of the site, Signal Architecture + Research designs a couple’s dream home to suit the needs of the surrounding forest—boulders and all.

The back patio and fire-pit area are central entertaining spaces. When the weather is nice, homeowner Joan and Ken wheel their dining room table outside for parties and dinners with friends. The fire pit was built using a steel cut-off from a natural gas tank.

Four summers ago, a group of a dozen or so people gathered for dinner in a forest in North Bend, Washington. Held on a site near Mount Si and Mount Teneriffe, about 30 miles southeast of Seattle, the event was a modern-day "topping-out" celebration (complete with an Ethan Stowell–cooked meal) for Joan and Ken Vaughn, whose house had recently received its final lumber board.

In addition to the couple and some of their friends, members of the project’s design team—which included Signal Architecture + Research, Dovetail General Contractors, and Ohashi Landscape Services—joined the festivities. 

"It was peak summer," says Joe Sadoski, an associate principal at Signal Architecture. "There were no windows, but we put up string lights and had this fun dinner party under the plywood and weather barrier. It was a chance for Joan and Ken to start picturing themselves in the space."

For the homeowners, looking directly into the forest—in all directions—was exactly what they envisioned. 

Protecting as many existing trees as possible was a core directive from the homeowners, so Signal Architecture positioned the home in a natural clearing, working their design around the abundance of Douglas firs.

Protecting as many existing trees as possible was Joan and Ken Vaughn’s core directive as they set out to build their forever home on wooded site in North Bend, Washington. Signal Architecture positioned the house in a natural clearing, working their design around the abundance of Douglas firs.

Photo: Nic Lehoux

The property’s large, old-growth stumps have become nurse logs—a habitat for new seedlings—and an integral part of the homeowners’ landscape.

The property’s large, old-growth stumps have become nurse logs—habitats for new seedlings—and an integral part of the homeowners’ landscape.

Photo: Nic Lehoux

Divided into three volumes (plus a garage), the single-level residence incorporates steel and stained and natural cedar. The architectural lines were kept simple and paired with the palette they help the house blend almost seamlessly with the site.

Divided into three volumes (plus a garage), the single-level residence incorporates steel and stained and natural cedar. The simple architectural lines and muted palette help the house blend almost seamlessly with the site.

Photo: Nic Lehoux

See the full story on Dwell.com: They Built Their Home Around a Grove of Ancient Stumps in the Washington Woods
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