Sammamish: An Architect’s Perspective

Sammamish Architecture by Gelotte Hommas Drivdahl
Our architects provide custom home design services for the Sammamish region.

Welcome to Sammamish

Of all the cities in Western Washington, Sammamish is at the top of the short list of ideal custom home building locations. The rolling green hills, old Cascade forests, and scenic lakeshore are breathtaking. The community is filled with families and professionals who care for the sprawling beauty of their plateau with unparalleled gratitude. Sammamish’s reputation a thriving community is well earned, and we are honored to serve as Sammamish architects.

Sammamish Highlights

  • Top tier school system: Sammamish is located in the Lake Washington School district which consistently ranks as one of the best in the country. It includes 33 elementary schools, 14 middle schools, and 9 high schools throughout the Kirkland, Redmond, and Sammamish areas. Education is a high priority, as the area boasts some of the highest rates of residents with an advanced degree in the nation.
  • An urban enclave: With a population of 65,000 people, Sammamish is the 23rd largest city in Washington. Many of the professionals who live here work in the booming tech hubs of Bellevue and Redmond. The values of education and culture reverberate through the community.
  • Close to nature: The 34-minute average commute time for the professionals who call Sammamish home is an enthusiastically embraced tradeoff for the breathtaking beauty and comfort of the area. Sammamish is a premiere destination for nature lovers and outdoor recreation seekers alike. With a reputation for safety, cleanliness, and friendliness, Sammamish is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and visit in Washington State.
  • Ample recreation: Sammamish is home to dozens of parks, trails, accessible mountains, and bodies of water. The daily encounters with wildlife and beautiful wooded areas are unavoidable. Lake Sammamish offers much to those living nearby and with other attractions, like ski resorts, just a quick drive up the road, it’s an outdoorsman’s paradise. Hunting, fishing, biking, and hiking are just a few examples of the widely available recreation.

Life in Downtown Sammamish

Architecture by Gelotte Hommas Drivdahl
As architects, we draw inspiration from the natural beauty that dominates the Sammamish area.

The City Center of Sammamish calls to an almost picture perfect, postcard version of suburban American life. The influx of younger professionals seeking to establish a residence meshes nicely with the presence of multigenerational residents.

The Sammamish Town Center is currently under construction and will be a significant addition to the area. Located in the heart of downtown Sammamish, the Town Center is a pedestrian friendly, mixed-use gathering place that offers a lively mix of restaurants, pubs, shops, boutiques, and a variety of home choices. Every year, crowds gather downtown to celebrate the winter holidays and take advantage of the festive offerings, gather with family and friends, and enjoy the city.

Surrounding Area

The Sammamish Plateau is bordered by Lake Sammamish to the west, Redmond to the north, Issaquah to the south, and the Snoqualmie Valley to the east. The vineyards and wineries of Woodinville are within 20 minutes from most residential areas and offer a delightful summer escape. Sahalee Country Club plays host to multiple PGA tournaments as well as provides area members with a premier destination to challenge their game. Adventure-seeking and discovery are a common part of the Sammamish resident experience.

Neighborhoods

With some of the highest property values in the United States, the surrounding Sammamish neighborhoods are extremely coveted places to live. Bookended by Pine Lake to the south and Redmond/Fall City Road to the north, the livability scores of each of the nine neighborhoods are all exceptional.

West Lake Sammamish Parkway is marked by continuously expanding residential neighborhoods where thousands of families reside. Klahanie and Providence Point each boast an arrangement of exclusive units with premiere luxury estates sprinkled in. Each neighborhood presents a unique opportunity to create the perfect “dream home” with a Sammamish custom home designer.

Sammamish Architects Provide Home Design Suited to Your Tastes

This area was essential in the early days when pioneers were traveling from the Eastern Cascades to the Puget Sound. Much of the original architecture was based around wood structures that highlighted function. Sammamish architects often call back to this important piece of the city’s logging and timber history in many of their designs today, but they are not limited by it.

With so much space to develop, design, and build, Sammamish architecture inculcates the most luxurious and innovative designs. Sammamish architects delight in helping homeowners make their own footprint with a perfect blend of great design and exquisite comfort. Tasteful modern architecture with infusions of traditional aesthetics and intentional incorporation of the wooded landscape—all of it can be found in these neighborhoods.

Custom home designers are always in high demand from residents seeking to establish a sense of home in these premiere neighborhoods. Sammamish luxury architects have made their mark with spectacular homes from the shores of the lake to the highlands.

Featured GHDA Project: Sammamish Tuscan

Sammamish Tuscan, a slice of Italian countryside hidden away in Sammamish.

Sammamish Tuscan embodies traditional Mediterranean elegance. When visitors approach the auto court, the terra cotta roof and verdant greenery immediately transport them to the Tuscan countryside. Inside, striking arches, warm neutrals, and authentic fixtures invite visitors to wonder at the rich history hidden within the home.

Sammamish interior design by Gelotte Hommas Drivdahl
Elegance abounds in this Sammamish home.

A faded pastoral mural adorns the master bathroom and mosaic tiles continue to breathe story from the very walls of the estate. Colors, curves, and moldings provide continuity throughout the whole of the home. Ornate mantles and antique tapestries exude craftsmanship and enrich the Italian ambiance of this Pacific Northwest abode. This masterpiece work by our founding partner, Curtis Gelotte, demonstrates that there are truly no limits on creativity or desire in a Sammamish luxury architecture project.

Sammamish Architects for Your Home

As local Sammamish architects, we constantly pursue the art of architecture as the calling for our work.  The constantly evolving community of Sammamish provides us with an endless opportunity to answer this calling in original and dynamic ways. We delight in the process of merging the preferences and imaginations of our clients with the distinct character of the Sammamish location that they select to build their dream home.

Every project presents a new opportunity to consider more deeply how we merge form with function, and to paint a portrait in architecture of our clients’ unique lifestyles.  Serving that purpose is our life’s work and greatest honor.

To learn more about designing your custom home, contact us.