Fans of the wonderfully intricate creations from Omer Arbel’s lighting studio-lab Bocci may delight even further in his architecture. Last year, the Canada-based polymath debuted a meticulously crafted farmland house in British Columbia covered in a series of verdant berms, creating a wave-like expanse as the abode seamlessly blended into its natural setting. He’s now upping the ante with Governors Point, an under-construction residential enclave nestled on the edge of Washington’s pristine Salish Sea Peninsula. Many of his eco-friendly principles—each structure is intended as a natural extension of the landscape—will apply to the 16 homes, the square footage of which is intentionally maximized at 2,900 square feet to ensure they don’t dominate the emerald forestry.
“The potential here is for the architecture and ecology of the sites on Governor’s Point to become one and the same,” Arbel says. “We’re committed to conserving the land, in part by designing homes that will be enveloped by a veil of the landscape, building a contrast between the experience of intimacy and shelter on the one hand, and visceral exposure to the sublime site on the other.”
So far, two premier lots have been unveiled. Each features cavern-like entryways clad in “cedar orb clouds” made from polished burls that hug a concrete facade, gradually creating ecosystems over time. The stark contrast between orderly, geometric architecture and the free-flowing wildness of the clouds strives for a cinematic and visceral experience that may make occupants more aware of their role in the region’s ecology. On that note, 98 acres within the 152-acre site have been donated to Whatcom Land Trust to create a public access nature reserve that will feature a two-mile loop trail connecting to the peninsula’s public beaches. Not that access compromises privacy—no homes will be visible from the historic Chuckanut Drive, meaning that lucky residents are sure to enjoy full seclusion.
