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Regional Modern: Oregon Homes Respond to the Landscape
Architecture in Portland and beyond emphasizes Oregon's cherished natural beauty
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City.... More »
It may be easy to argue that what drives architecture and design in Seattle, Washington is the same in Portland and other areas in Oregon to the south, creating a general Pacific Northwest modern style. There may be some truth in that in regards to climate and landscape, but each metropolitan area is unique in cultural and other aspects. This leads to idiosyncratic if similar modernisms in each region.
Portland is known among those interested in architecture and urbanism for its dense core and varied transportation, a result of strong top-down planning that is forward thinking in its sustainable goals. Here, the greenfield suburbanization of farmland that is the favored practice around the United States is eschewed in favor of preserving a greenbelt around the city. While this general plan has led to some quality interventions in the urban core, the houses that follow clearly fall outside that area — and into other parts of Oregon — and are indicative of design that responds to landscapes rather than city life.
More regional modern architecture:
Chicago | Boston | Austin | NYC | NY Metro | Seattle | No. Calif. | San Francisco | L.A. | Coastal L.A.
Portland is known among those interested in architecture and urbanism for its dense core and varied transportation, a result of strong top-down planning that is forward thinking in its sustainable goals. Here, the greenfield suburbanization of farmland that is the favored practice around the United States is eschewed in favor of preserving a greenbelt around the city. While this general plan has led to some quality interventions in the urban core, the houses that follow clearly fall outside that area — and into other parts of Oregon — and are indicative of design that responds to landscapes rather than city life.
More regional modern architecture:
Chicago | Boston | Austin | NYC | NY Metro | Seattle | No. Calif. | San Francisco | L.A. | Coastal L.A.
| This vacation home (which later became the client's main house) is in the Hood River Valley east of Portland. This photo indicates a strong natural setting marked by trees but also vineyards. |
| On one side the house is built into a hill, but on the other side it opens up towards the distant Mount Hood. Here the plan follows an L-shape to cradle the outdoor space, which is marked by pavers, planters and a pool. |
The house itself is a mix of natural and industrial materials.
This corner near the pool features a wood roof and walls of Corten steel, corrugated iron, and metal louvers in front of glass.
Each material responds to specific conditions (cover, fireplace, windows) and is carefully composed at a human scale.
This corner near the pool features a wood roof and walls of Corten steel, corrugated iron, and metal louvers in front of glass.
Each material responds to specific conditions (cover, fireplace, windows) and is carefully composed at a human scale.
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| This house is also built in a hillside, making it a split-level design with three floors on the front but two on the rear. The middle floor cantilevers dramatically at the far end of this photo ... |
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... making a strong statement about the house in relation to its landscape. The terrace at the tip of the cantilever offers and experience like sitting in the trees.
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| This prefab house is located in Bend, southeast of Portland. It takes advantage of views of the nearby Cascade Mountains. While prefab and modern may not bring pleasing images to mind, this design responds to its site gracefully through a subtle butterfly roof form and terrace taking advantage of the view. To boot, it only took about 8 weeks from start to finish, including 6 hours (!) to erect the house in place after it was fabricated off-site. |
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| Another prefab by Stillwater Dwelling, this time in Portland, uses similar forms but on a smaller scale. The butterfly roof form ensures that exterior walls have more generous glazing. The low point of the roof can be used to catch rainwater for graywater recycling. |
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| This retreat is located in Vida, far south of Portland, near the Willamette National Forest outside Eugene. The surrounding mountains and trees are just stunning, and in this sense it seems appropriate that the architect and client built upward. This minimizes the footprint of the house and gets the occupants up high to enjoy the surroundings. |
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The materials are fairly utilitarian, primarily CMU and wood. It's worth noting here how the rainwater is collected for reuse, an off-the-grid move that is necessary in remote locations like this.
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| Primarily closed from the street, this one-story residence opens up in the rear to visually connect the house to its surroundings and provide space for outdoor dining and enjoyment. The cantilevered terrace is a nice touch that emphasizes the slope descending away from the house. |
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This last house returns to the location of the first, the Hood River Valley.
This retreat is much more modest, and it really tries to minimize its footprint by lifting itself above the landscape.
It's evident that natural beauty is something cherished in and around Portland and other parts of the state, extending from urban plans to the floor plans of houses.
More regional modern architecture:
Chicago | Boston | Austin | NYC | NY Metro | Seattle | No. Calif. | San Francisco | L.A. | Coastal L.A.
This retreat is much more modest, and it really tries to minimize its footprint by lifting itself above the landscape.
It's evident that natural beauty is something cherished in and around Portland and other parts of the state, extending from urban plans to the floor plans of houses.
More regional modern architecture:
Chicago | Boston | Austin | NYC | NY Metro | Seattle | No. Calif. | San Francisco | L.A. | Coastal L.A.
Comments
John Hill jenifitz - This ideabook, and the series that it is part of, is not meant to find the predominant style of a place. Instead it focuses on the modern residential architecture of a region, arguing that it is not arbitrary or universal but determined by local forces (climate, materials, trades, gov't, etc.) that make the houses place-specific.
19 months ago · Like
Ideabook updated on April 30, 2012.
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