We continue this retrospective look on Peter Bohlin, FAIA, founder of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. As explained in the first part of this article, the architect has just been awarded the 2010 AIA Gold Medal.

Presenting the Gold Medal, James Timberlake, FAIA described Peter Bohlin as a “…true American original. He represents the quintessential American qualities of innovation and inventiveness, combined with pragmatism. Despite his commanding presence and the very large shoes he wears, Peter does not shout in a room or in his architecture; instead, he speaks calmly and from a profoundly centered well-spring in his being."

All Photographs are courtesy of the AIA

Designed to focus on environmental learning activities, the Visitor Activity Center is a remarkable building that hosts an open space designed for gathering, dining, meetings, lectures.

When designing houses, the firm of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson has the natural talent of integrating the house in its surroundings. Their work dissolves into a synergetic composition that respects the aesthetic attributes of the landscape.
In the case of this project, as they explain, the client wanted a small home as a retreat from her hectic urban life. She sought to enjoy, throughout the seasons, the seclusion and connection with nature offered by her large forested property in the eastern foothills of the Cascades. The modest project included one bedroom, a guest suite for friends and family, and a garage that could be adaptable for use as a studio/workspace.

One of the 18 recipients for the 2010 Housing Awards, the project is a small cottage and office are set along the steep bank of Dry Creek. The two structures are stretched along the verdant edge of the creek between the public world of the entry drive and the private world of the forested creek. Material, structure and craftsmanship played a vital role in the realization of these two modest buildings.

All photographs © Nic Lehoux Architectural Photography

Solid wood-clad volumes face the drive and contain the program’s service elements. Delicate ribbon windows are strategically placed in the façades providing views, introducing light, and maintaining privacy. In contrast, full height glazed walls along the creek allow the intimate building plan to open completely.

This  warm, attractive residence, well integrated its its rural settings. is one of the recipients of the AIA’s Housing Awards.

Approaching the rural site, a clearing briefly reveals the Port Townsend Residence in the distance, spanning the end of a long meadow framed by forest.


After winding through dense woods, the drive opens to the home’s entry, where wood screens obscure the distant views. The path to the house steps up and turns onto the breezeway deck, where the full nature of the site is finally revealed as the view focuses over the edge of a high bluff to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, with Protection Island and beyond.

A line of exposed steel structure and a series of wood columns extend the length of the slender building, supporting wood beams and rafters.

Photo Credit: © Nic Lehoux Photography