Tower House

Rising four stories from a minimal footprint on a steep, previously "unbuildable" West Hills site, a corrugated metal-clad volume maximizes views while a thickened edge of support spaces is carved with loggias and framed openings.

Steep topography, previously considered “unbuildable,” and limited street frontage were the main challenges faced when siting this 223 square meter house in the west hills of Portland, Oregon. To maximize view access, and to minimize both foundation costs and the impact to the steep slope, a decision was made to build up rather than out. With a small footprint (56 square meters) the house rises out of the ground, in a single volume, four stories high. The house was placed downhill from the access road to gain the best views and to accommodate the limited street frontage. An eight-meter steel pedestrian bridge connects the road to the 3rd story of the house.

Like a medieval Scottish tower house, this modern Tower House is conceived as three main rooms (Living, Dining, and Bedroom): tall, generous volumes floating loosely in a tubular-shaped building. There is one main room per floor with support spaces, such as stairs, closets, and bathrooms, incorporated into the building perimeter creating a thickened edge. This thickened edge is carved and articulated to create dramatic framed views of the landscape. At each floor level, a loggia carves into the thickened edge, blurring the line between inside and out. The wood-framed house is supported by a concrete foundation on micro-piles. The exterior is clad in a corrugated metal “sleeve” with radius corners to eliminate the need for corner trim. Railings and bridge are powder-coated steel. The primary rooms are finished with oil-rubbed quarter-sawn white oak.