The house is oriented east-west, with openings at the roof’s h…
The house is oriented east-west, with openings at the roof’s high end that allow for passive cooling. Post-and-beam construction is infilled with glass and lapped clear cedar siding, some of it painted.
Peter Eckert
The roof’s upward slope tracks the progression from private to…
The roof’s upward slope tracks the progression from private to public space.
Peter Eckert
Designed for an elderly retired couple, the house has radiant-he…
Designed for an elderly retired couple, the house has radiant-heated concrete floors and is as transparent as possible to capture views of the Columbia River and Mt. Hood.
Peter Eckert
The deck incorporates a raised concrete plinth for gardening.
Peter Eckert
Large overhangs on the south create an outdoor room.
Scott Edwards Architecture
The site plan.
Scott Edwards Architecture
Section.
Scott Edwards Architecture
The floor plan.
This house, for an elderly couple on the banks of the Columbia River, makes all the right moves, and does it elegantly. The simple, room-width plan unspools along a southern exposure with the bedroom at one end, followed by an office, kitchen, dining, and living area. Designer Rick Berry created a quintessentially Northwest structure: post and beam infilled with glass and lapped, clear-stain cedar siding. The single-slope roof has large overhangs that let in the winter sun and block direct sunlight in the summer. It starts low over the bedroom and rises to its zenith above the living room, along the way sheltering outdoor patios that can be used rain or shine. “Openings at the high end allow for passive cooling” in this moderate climate, Berry says. “There is no air conditioning and it has not overheated, even on 100-degree days.”
The jury praised this project’s scale and efficiency. “It’s really well executed and could inspire clients to build smaller vacation homes,” one judge commented. —C.W.