Ivar's Portage Bay Poolhouse
Homes, Living + Interiors
Project type
Seattle, Washington
Location
Design + Construction
Role
Ivar’s Portage Bay Poolhouse is a meticulous restoration of a mid-century poolhouse located just downhill from Ivar’s Historic Residence on the same Portage Bay property. Originally owned by Ivar Haglund, the structure occupies a remarkably tight footprint while delivering an outsized architectural presence and a deep sense of personality.
Challenge
The compact scale, unconventional geometry, and age of the structure presented both technical and spatial challenges. The goal was to restore and upgrade the building while preserving its playful, expressive character—embracing its quirks rather than smoothing them out—within the constraints of a highly compact waterfront site.
Solution
SCR leaned into the building’s idiosyncratic geometry, using canted walls, sloped ceilings, and ramps to choreograph movement through the space. A spiral stair rises to a slatted catwalk and rooftop deck, transforming the poolhouse into a vertical sequence of experiences and views. What the building lacks in square footage is more than compensated for through spatial drama and thoughtful circulation.
Materials + Craft
Exposed beams and joists, original brickwork, faceted walls, and trapezoidal doors celebrate the structure’s mid-century character and hand-built origins. The restoration was a true labor of love, with careful attention paid to every junction and detail. The result is a spectacular and singular structure—deeply expressive, historically grounded, and unlike anything else on Seattle’s waterfront.
