Architect Miles Yanick earns an industry-sponsored award for design.

In the rainy woods of the Northwest, sunlight is invaluable.

Architect Miles Yanick and company have shown they know how to brighten up a house without cutting down many surrounding trees.

The firm was recently awarded the 2006 Vetter Inspired Project Award for creative use of windows and general excellence in design for a 1,400 square-foot home the firm designed in 2004.

The house, located in a forested valley at the south end of the island, demanded a unique placement of windows to ensure it receives sunlight.

“Large glazed areas were important to provide passive solar access,” Yanick said. “The windows create a larger sense of spaciousness in the small living areas and let the surrounding forested area become part of the home.”

The VIP Awards, sponsored by Vetter Windows and Doors, is a national design competition that celebrates architects and custom builders who use the company’s products.

“The Vetter Awards celebrate ingenuity and artistry in architecture and custom building,” according to the Vetter web site.

The annual award recognized six structures that fit different categories based on the size and type of project. Yanick and Co. won for best custom home less than 3,000 square feet.

Yanick, founder and principal architect, spearheaded the design.

A 31-year resident of Bainbridge and graduate of University of Washington’s College of Architecture and Urban Planning, he is no stranger to devising buildings in the Northwest.

In the 38 years since he founded the firm, he has worked on well-known projects like the Poulsbo Central Market and the American Forest Institute Pavilion at the Spokane World’s Fair, for which Yanick and Co. won the Western Art Director’s Club Award of Merit.

He speaks fondly of his time spent on Bain­bridge.

“I enjoy living here every day, even when driving on 305,” he said. “It’s like living in a park.”

Yanick said he takes a pragmatic approach to architecture, allowing the landscape he loves to shape the buildings he creates.

“Some architects have a certain style that remains the same,” Yanick said. “I let the program and site determine what a structure will look like. No structure we design is ever the same.”

In the case of the award-winning home, the lay of the land made producing plans for the edifice difficult.

“The site was very challenging. It was very narrow and had topography and water problems,” Yanick said. “There were better sites.”

The demanding location led to the unique appearance of the domicile.

“In order to develop forest views and respond to the unique topography, the floor plan called for a splayed plan pattern,” he said.

Project manager Will England also pointed to the importance of the blend of materials used in construction.

“I think the home featured a nice mix of wood, metal, and concrete,” England said. “The combination of organic and industrial forms made it a great semi-modern design.”

While the award specifically called attention to the creative use of windows in the design of the home, Yanick views it more as a much-needed step by the industry to recognize environmentally friendly architecture.

“I am glad to see so called green architecture finally taking hold,” he said. “We have been doing it for 30 years.”

In spite of his long and distinguished career as an architect, Yanick challenges what he calls the excessive bric-a-brac of many of today’s houses.

“Today’s architecture is so conspicuously wasteful it is almost immoral,” he said.

He cited simplicity as the distinguishing feature of his most recent success, and hoped the trend toward green design will continue.

“I am most proud of the economy of means,” he said. “There is little decoration, so the house fits with the forested site.”