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Architects: Hennebery Eddy Architects
- Area: 3023 ft²
- Year: 2014
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Photographs:Josh Partee
Text description provided by the architects. Ash+Ash integrates contemporary architecture with high performance sustainable design on an infill site on the northwest flank of Mount Tabor in Southeast Portland.
The residence takes advantage of regional and distant views to the east, north, and west, and a close relationship to its neighborhood and immediate landscape. The parti stems from a desire to create a range of terraces and porches for use at different times of the day and in different weather.
Blurring the line between those spaces and the interior through extensive transparency is central to the design concept. The simple L-shaped plan places main living and gathering spaces in a separate wing from guest and master bedroom spaces and encloses a visually private pool terrace.
The building skin is composed of white stucco planes with large glass and cedar infill panels floating above a dark ironspot brick base. The volume of the pool, low retaining walls and other site elements cut through the sloping site exposing raw steel panels that meet grade. Deep cedar soffits at the home's porches protect expansive glazing from the sun and extend to the interior above the glass forming rich spaces and a purposefully more intimate scale in guest bedrooms, the master bath, and viewbox.
The central core of the living wing is wrapped in rift cut white oak and complemented by a cantilevered walnut stair to the rooftop viewbox and terrace. Interior walls and lighting are proportioned to display artwork. White marble counters and hearth reflect the planar forms of the building’s stucco wrapper.
Simple white marble surfaces in the guest and master baths and soft grey marble in the powder room establish clean backgrounds for playful glass tile on the back wall of each shower. Joint patterns and proportions of stone tile, exterior paving, window, and brick modules are carefully related to one another throughout.
Certified LEED for Homes Platinum, the project incorporates a geo-exchange heat pump, under-floor radiant heating, triple glazing, LED lighting, exterior blinds to control heat gain, rainwater recovery providing potable water, a 10 KW photovoltaic array, solar pool heat, and an awesome storm water swale.