This project started with a simple program to replace an old rotting deck structure with a new covered pavilion. The site is located on the western slope of Phinney Ridge, with commanding views of the Ballard bridge, the ship canal, and the bluffs of Magnolia beyond. The design of this pavilion takes full advantage of those views.
However the steep slope between this site and the western neighbors that allows for the stunning views, also required a full geotechnical exploration of the subsurface soils that would support the new structure. The results of that review were not encouraging and the result was the need for a much more extensive and costly foundation under this pavilion than we would normally use for such a small structure. Driven steel pipe pilings and a system of connecting concrete grade beams were designed to account for the lateral stability of this pavilion, and the soils underneath it in the event of an earthquake.
Most clients would just give up under such circumstances, but these clients were tenacious and understanding and persevered though all of the process. They now have the pavilion they dreamed of we christened it’s completion with a celebration barbecue. We sipped gin and tonics under it’s sun sheltering roof while watching the sun set over Magnolia.