Birdsong
North Central Oregon

Located in a rural agricultural region of the state, the site is dominated by rolling fields of alfalfa. The Farm Use zoning of the property meant the house must be sited on the only un-farmable portion of the property, conveniently elevating it above the countryside and affording 180 degree panoramic views of the cascade mountains.

Tucking the garage into the hillside behind the long narrow footprint allowed residual space to be molded into a private, wind protected courtyard, defined by a fifteen-foot-tall gabion retaining wall. The house and courtyard were sited to preserve a 100 year-old water flume, a relic from the original farming settlements of the area.

Despite the substantial western glazing exposure and occasional 100 degree summer temperatures, the home requires no air conditioning thanks to functional cross ventilation strategies, the super insulated building shell, and properly proportioned roof overhangs.

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