The Seattle chapter of the American Institute of Architects announced its yearly Award of Honor recipients this week, and a diminutive Seabeck structure was among them.

The award-winning home, called “Little House,” was created by mw|works architecture + design of Seattle. Architect Eric Walter of Kingston was part of the design team. 

“This one was particularly enjoyable to work on as it was in my back yard,” he said in an email.

The 1,100-square-foot “cabin” overlooks Hood Canal, with views extending to Dabob Bay and the Olympic Mountains.

It was built on a tiny, existing foundation, according to a project description.

“The small footprint ultimately served as an effective tool to govern the design project,” according to a description provided by mw|works.

“Focus was placed on the essentials and extras were edited out by both desire and necessity. The resulting project hopes to capture the essence of a modern cabin – small in size but much larger than its boundaries.”

Skylights let in natural light and large windows looking north and west “pull the landscape and distant view into the space.”

The exterior is of the house is sheathed in “taut oxidized black cedar and blackened cement infill panels.”

A patio serves as a “jumping off point” for a meandering trail down to the water.

The owners are a Houston-based couple who have spent summers in the Seabeck area.

Little House was one of four 2015 Award of Honor recipients named by the Seattle AIA, chosen from among 130 submittals.

You can see the full project description and more images below: