AIA People's Choice Award for Residential Architecture
Featured in the book, "The House You Build" by: Duo Dickenson, Tauton Press
Featured in Eugene Magazine
Featured in HGTV's "Beyond the Box" show

Searching for the perfect lot took the owners three years, but when they saw it, they knew it was the place. The lot had a view of Spencer Butte, was set in a quiet neighborhood of moderately priced homes, and within walking distance of an elementary school and grocery store. Better yet, they could afford it. They wanted to capture the views, particularly of the butte, but they didn't want to remove existing trees. “What inspired us was the lot, the site, and the view,” said Shugar, who designed the home. “That’s why the house became what it did.”

“I wanted the site to be the first thing you experienced,” he said. To accomplish this, Richard aligned the home’s front entrance with a sliding glass door leading directly out to the back deck. Visitors are greeted in the entryway by an expansive skyline, lush treetops and radiant sunsets. “I really like the fact that the trees are in my way,” said Richard. “It gives me a filtered view instead of just one massive view that never changes.” The deck, which the Shugars describes as their “outdoor room,” is nestled comfortably into the corner of the home’s L-shaped design and can be seen from virtually every part of the house, including two second-story balconies.

The owners’ love for nature is apparent both inside and out. The entire house is folded into a small grove of trees that occupied the lot before the home was ever built. The largest among them is a giant Douglas fir that towers just outside the living room. Two stories of windows allow an unobstructed view of the tree from its base to its highest boughs, all of which can be enjoyed from the comfort of the living-room sofa. The trees lend seasonal variety to the magnificent view of the valley.