2025 Summer Update
Community Spaces
As island-based architects, we don’t just design for a place — we’re part of it. Working on community spaces gives us a rare opportunity to shape the resources of our neighbors and contribute to the social fabric we’re already woven into. To us, this is where we live into our values of stewardship, interdependence, and care for the place we call home.
LCLT Farmworker Prototype
This 980-square-foot home was designed in partnership with the Lopez Community Land Trust, and pairs island know-how with community-first pragmatism: locally milled fir wraps a simple, low-impact frame; a mudroom with exterior laundry and utility sink keeps the dirt outside but invites campers in; a pantry-forward kitchen doubles as a hub for canning and harvest dinners. Every room flexes—couple, small family, or two friends—so the house adapts as lives and seasons shift.
Our role as on-island architects allowed tight builder partnerships and cross-pollinated insights from our other resiliency and food-security projects. The result is an efficient, replicable kit: durable finishes, minimized site disturbance, and a carbon-light assembly that can be dropped onto future parcels to multiply its impact across the archipelago.
Finishing construction this summer, this project proves that affordable housing can be both rugged and regenerative—rooted in local materials, ready to support the community.
Camp Nor’Wester Henderson Commons
This new timber-frame commons, assembled from prefabricated components and insulated panels that arrived by barge and locked together efficiently, lets us live out our values of stewardship, interdependence, and care: minimal site disturbance, a small carbon footprint, and materials that age gracefully.
Inside, the building braids together four camp essentials. A light-washed gathering hall flexes from rainy-day gatherings to evening Councils; a camp store-turned-commissary (the successor to beloved Trader Horn) keeps units outfitted for adventure; a library nook offers quiet reflection; and the camp’s historical archives create a “living museum” that safeguards nearly 90 years of Camp Nor’Wester stories for the next generation of campers.
For a community whose mission is to foster respect, responsibility, and compassion through outdoor living, the Commons is both tool and testament—giving campers a place to gather, learn, and care for one another.
Sited adjacent to the craft center, framing between the two buildings a bit of an outdoor living room space. Craft center is literally a craft center.
Being cognizant of the tides that will impact the barges, the seasonal weather
long-standing well-established staple of the San Juan Islands, and the thos of the camp is in alignment with how we approach work. Fantastic to be able to contribute to this kind of organization, doing so much good for young people and their relationship with the outdoors.
Prefabrication — informe d by the office we also designed and built on John’s previously, the idea was to be able to expedite construction and have it happen within the windows of when camp is not in session, shoulder seasons, which are these short windows of time between weather and camp. We developed prefabricated modular components that we assembled onsite expeditiously.
Client is aware of the limitations of the island and the time window, so they were game to expedite it to benefit the project and minize the camp. So they were very on board right away to be as efficient as possible.
The construction team, as needed, would commute from Orcas or stay for four-day stretches to complete big projects. From the start, we considered strategies to expedite construction time and maximize construction effectiveness.
Food Center (also Owner’s Rep here, though being AOR is more important for this project)
Began with the Food Share, Nitsan’s wife helped to establish the Food Share originally, which was in a closet at first then maturing to a larger space, but the project now aims to raise awareness of the food products and increase access to food for islanders. It’s an equity project. It feels respectful and welcoming, and reflects the effort. There was a WA state dept of commerce / community building (Nitsan sharing name) grant that helped spark this initiative, and as well lopez island offers a lot of suport for these kinds of projects, and during the pandemic to help farmers farming and keeping restaurants open by buying products from farmers and paying restaurant owners to make food thgat then goes to community members in ned. This was the seed that snowballed into support for this kind of project.
Housing Lopez (also Owner’s Rep here)
We keep it just textual and talk about the role.
Interesting project, and wanted to be a part of the project to learn from it, plus we’re uniquely qualified to satisfy this role. Can you pull some more info from the new About page?
2025 Spring Update
Interstitial Spaces
Given the beauty of the verdant rural ecology of the San Juan islands, the line between indoor and outdoor experience can and should be blurred. Blending conditioned with unconditioned spaces, extending interior spaces with overhangs and enriching the exterior experience through outdoor showers, an outside-access sauna, or an abundant garden and patio are ways to deepen our relationship to the seasons and the character of the places we live. Three project highlighting this guiding principle in our work below.
At the Courtyard House, the homeowners are avid gardeners.
The client’s passion for the natural world strongly informed our design decisions – especially when it came to the efficiency of the home and its relationship to the exterior spaces. See more of this project here.
The Jasper Bay Residence was built to take advantage of the Bay.
The home was oriented to take advantage of the ideal views and light throughout the day, while overhangs protect from mid-day summer sun. The multiple outdoor spaces are shielded from prevailing weather while taking maximum advantage of the light and varying views. See more of this project here.
Bladderwrack Cabin was designed for the meander.
Originally conceived as a rudimentary camp cabin while on island to explore the local waters, the couple decided to move to Lopez island full-time to make the most of its temperate climate and ample kayaking opportunities. The design team created a cabin that was not one, large unit, but a set of smaller spaces connected by pathways in the property. See more of this project here.
‘24 / ’25 Winter Updates
The Latest Project Milestones
Lopez Food Center
The Lopez Food Center will be home to both the local Food Share (currently already serving 1,200 individuals on island) and the San Juan Food Hub (an inter-island local food distributor). The sustainable structure will take advantage of the beauty of the local wetland site with plenty of indoor / outdoor spaces, and room for not only food access, but events and resources for locals.
Currently in design, construction is expected to kick off late summer 2025.
Read more about the project here.
Camp Nor’wester Henderson Commons and Offices
Camp Nor’Wester has been a local favorite since its founding in the 1930s. We’re excited to be a part of these updated elements to support their programming.
Henderson Commons is currently under construction and includes a light-filled multi purpose gathering space, museum, library and commissary to support summer time camp activities (shown on the left here). With prefabricated timber frame components and insulated panels, the structure is intended to be assembled expeditiously on an outer island. See more of this project here.
Affordable Farmworker Housing on Lopez
In collaboration with the Lopez Community Land Trust, this prototypical residence is meant to be replicated. Its assembly simplifies construction, minimizes site impact and reduces its carbon footprint, while accommodating seasonal farm workers and new farmers.
Currently under construction, this project is expected to finish early summer 2025. See more of this project here.
This project was also recently featured in ARCADE Magazine, a Seattle based design & architecture magazine, in a piece written by UW student Graycie Viscon. Read the article here, on pages 8-10.
Islandview Basecamp
On a 10 acre site with spectacular views of Lopez Sound, Mt Baker and the Cascades on Lopez island, we’re designing a basecamp comprised of several structures designed to accommodate friends who enjoy gathering together before pushing off into outdoor sports and island adventures.
This project is currently in design; a construction timeline has not yet been established. Stay tuned for more!
Courtyard House
The Courtyard House, a highly efficient home on Lopez Island, is situated to maximize daylight and frame a central garden space. We photographed it recently with Taj Howe, and are excited to offer a closer look at this project.
See more of the home here.
You can keep up to date with our ongoing projects by following us @etsarchitecture.
