Rockaway Beach Artist Escape

Perched on the shoreline with sweeping views of Seattle, Mount Rainier, and the Puget Sound, the Rockaway Beach House was transformed from a dated 1970s post-and-beam into a modern, net-zero retreat. Working within shoreline regulations, the home’s footprint was carefully preserved while opening the floor plan and expanding glass walls to capture the ever-changing waterfront.

A new steel framework allowed for a full glass façade, while high-performance insulation, a standing-seam roof, and durable exterior finishes ensure efficiency and longevity. An 18kW solar array with Tesla Powerwalls powers the home—and even a Tesla Model S—providing off-grid capability much of the year.

Native plantings and dune grasses now restore the shoreline ecosystem, grounding this striking remodel in sustainability and its natural setting.