Structural deck supports add integrity, visual appeal to modern home
Custom deck supports to eliminate posts in the lower driveway of this modern three-story home in Bellingham.
Gorgeous homes aren’t just about pretty visual design (though that certainly doesn’t hurt). Detailed engineering also is necessary to ensure that the homeowners’ and designers’ visions are practical and durable.
Alpine Engineering handled engineering tasks on this three-story custom home that incorporated energy efficient elements and unique structural members to create an original, lasting home.
The structure was built on a sloping lot in close proximity to a city park in Bellingham, WA. The special circumstances required close attention to the daylight basement foundation walls. Alpine Engineering designed custom deck supports to eliminate posts in the lower driveway. The supports for the deck used heavy steel square tubing and custom attachments to the supporting beams and wall. Inside the home, beams were left exposed and incorporated into the overall design, giving the appearance of extending to the exterior as support members for the roof eaves.
The civil engineering that Alpine conducted for this project involved processing LiDAR data with AutodDesk Civil 3D to develop site topography contours. The architect was then able to use the surface topography in renderings to optimize house placement on the property. That information also guided decisions to minimize ground disturbance and rock excavation, reducing costs while preserving the integrity of the design intent.
Designer: Westgate Design Works
Builder: Kota Construction
Photos from this custom home project:
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