Award-Winning Home Featured in Sunset Magazine

PULLMAN, Wash. – A house designed by Paul Hirzel, associate professor in the School of Architecture and Construction Management, is featured in the March issue of “Sunset Magazine” as one of the winners in the American Institute of Architects and Sunset’s Western Homes Award Competition.

Hirzel received the merit award for the design of “The Canyon House,” a vacation home designed on a 40-acre property overlooking the Clearwater River in Juliaetta, Idaho. The home is one of 13 from across the West that received acclaim out of 250 submissions.

“Its simple outline and rustic materials echo the shape and character of the rural surroundings…. the footprint of the house is minimal because rooms overlap as they stairstep down the slope,’’ wrote the Sunset judges.

“Canyon House” was a rare instance where the builder, site, owner and architect all joined together to produce something that is treasured, Hirzel said. Because of the steepness of the building site, Hirzel suggested to the owner that he construct two buildings on the property instead of one — a bunkhouse in a steep ravine and a studio house that looks down from a finger ridge. An important third part of the design was a nearby knoll, a favorite viewing spot that remains undeveloped.

In the past year, Hirzel’s home design has also received the prestigious AIA Housing Committee Award and the AIA-Seattle’s honor award.