2 weeks Ago By Emma Reynolds
About 30 miles south of the Canadian border in Bellingham, Washington , is Governors Point , a 125-acre private peninsula at the base of Chuckanut Mountain overlooking the Salish Sea. Considered one of the last private coastal plots in Washington State, Governors Point has a fascinating topography comprising dense coastal forest and 270-foot-high sandstone cliffs. Developer Randy Bishop, inspired by the peninsula’s unspoiled terrain, purchased the property in 2018 with the intention of creating a small planned community of homes that blend into the landscape while preserving the majority of the land.
When completed, there will be just 16 modestly sized waterfront homes spread over about 27 acres. Bishop donated the remaining 98 acres to the Whatcom Land Trust , a nonprofit organization that will preserve and protect the land as a public reserve. Bishop tapped Vancouver -based architect Omer Arbel to design the homes so that they are seamlessly integrated, each into the land.
Land-first restrictions, which limit how land can be used or developed, have been employed, with the residences set on ample 1.5-acre parcels but limited to no more than 2,900 square feet of interior living space with another 3,000 square feet of gardens and terraces. The remainder of each parcel must remain untouched.
From Chuckanut Drive, a historic, scenic road that links Seattle and Vancouver, the homes will be hidden out of view so as to not interrupt views from the picturesque drive. And from the water, kayakers may not notice the homes either. Though each home is designed specifically for the parcel and no two are alike, the architectural and design languages are consistent.
Starting at $4.4 million, each of the one-of-a-kind abodes will have unobstructed sea views while at the same time disappearing into the natural setting thanks to Arbel’s avant-garde designs. Windows and doors will be ringed by molecule-like clumps of tumbled cedar burl offcuts, a waste product from the local logging industry, which have been crafted into spheres.
The goal is that eventually, the wooden orbs will grow moss and lichens, further camouflaging the home within the surrounding landscape. Additional materials found throughout the homes include poured-in-place concrete, a variety of wood and stone, and charcoal black floor tiles and finishes. Moody interior spaces are burrowed into the hillsides and have an almost cave-like quality enhanced by lumpy carve-outs in the concrete walls and ceilings.
Large expanses of glass that open onto terraces keep the homes, however, from feeling dark and dank. Homeowners, along with the public, will have access to the preserved areas of Governors Point, which will include trails and access to beaches for kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards. Click here for more photos of the boutique development in Washington State.
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