2016 Portland Modern Home Tour

Developed in association with Gray Magazine, Modern Home Tours is proud to present the 2016 Portland Modern Home Tour!

DATE: Saturday, June 4, 2016
TIME: 11:00am – 5:00pm
COST: $35 USD Online in advance, $40 day of
LOCATION: Portland, OR
TRANSPORTATION: Self-driving, Self-paced

Advance tickets are on sale through FRIDAY, June 3 at 5PM for $35 each. Tickets purchased after that time MUST be purchased at any of the tour homes beginning at 11:00 am on Saturday, June 4 for $40 each. Children 12 and under are free.

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A – Portland, OR

Architect & Interior Designer: Integrate Architecture & Planning
Photography: Jeff Amram Photography

Layout: The overall layout of the home results from its orientation on the river and the community walkway to the east, which is the sole axis for the moorage.

Floor Plan: The first floor is an open plan with clear site lines all the way through the home from east to west. The front (east) side of the home is accessed from the community walkway via an open deck. The front wing of the home is single story to maintain a lower and more appropriate scale with the community walkway. The entry is angled in plan toward the south to be easily visible from the walkway while also providing a playful geometry which engages the guest.
The solarium, off of the kitchen, is the room most visible from the moorage walkway. Plants in the solarium provide an interactive privacy for the home and community. Also visible from the walkway is mitered the glass bock corner at the stair. The plan has an east to west orientation with the solarium first followed by the kitchen, then dining, and finally living room on the river side. A garden float is located on the river side of the home.
A somewhat hidden stair provides access to the second floor. The stair walls are fluted glass block which provide natural light and privacy. The second floor is devoted to the master area – master bedroom, bathroom, master closet, office, and riverside balcony.

Materials:
Glass block
Standing seam metal roofs
Vertical cedar siding, painted
Concrete floors with radiant floor heating on main floor
Wood flooring on second floor

Sustainability:
High efficiency mini-split heating & cooling systems
High efficiency appliances and electrical fixtures
Radiant floor heating
Standing seam metal roofing
River water is utilized for all landscaping

Additional Thoughts:
The Oregon Yacht Club moorage is a one-of-a-kind place. The floating homes in the moorage are accessed via a single floating walkway. This results in a very tight knit community where everyone has daily personal interactions with one another. The marina also has an urban feel while walking along the walkway in that it is dense — homes are often as close as 10′ from each other, and privacy can be challenging. That urban feel is counterbalanced by the strong connection to nature, the tranquil setting, and the separation from the city that the river affords.

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B – Portland, OR

Architect: Matthew Daby – m.o.daby design
Builder: Cellar Ridge Construction

This 3 level home with a narrow 25 foot street frontage was built on an ‘L’ shaped infill parcel that wraps around the client’s existing 1908 rental house.

The primary design goal of the home is to maintain privacy from the close proximity neighbors without sacrificing interesting /functional spaces and quality of light.

Cutouts throughout the floors, roof, and wall planes track daylight through the plan and a centralized vertical circulation shaft containing skylights, wall glazing, and a 3 story custom perforated steel staircase allows filtered light to penetrate the center of the home and provides access to all levels. At the top of the stairway is a sunny and private roof top deck.
The main living space has a strong connection to the rear yard by way of a 20 foot long wall of glass. A glass accordion door folds away to eliminate the boundary between the living room and covered rear deck.

The interior materials are a calming, sophisticated palette of tile, wood, painted casework, and glass in monochromatic grays, with white walls, and punches of brass hardware. The master bathroom shower features floor to ceiling black tile, a frosted glass window, and large skylight overhead.

The black metal and reclaimed wood exterior cladding express the shapes and cantilevered forms of the home. Custom steel “fins” frame the window glazing for shading.

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C – Portland, OR

Architect: Emily Réfi – Waterleaf Architecture
Builder: Cellar Ridge Construction
Photography: Scott Gerke

Jingzi Zhao, a photographer and Chris Perkins, a software engineer purchased a tiny Victorian home on a corner lot in the Kerns neighborhood, with the dream of expanding, modernizing and making it their own stylistically. They started working with Emily Réfi exploring different ways this could happen. Given the modern-leaning aesthetics of the client, Emily proposed keeping the Victorian as is, dividing the lot and building a compact new 2-story home where a dilapidated garage stood. The idea of adding a 560 SF basement ADU apartment made construction of a small infill house financially feasible, while providing passive income as an Airbnb rental between long visits from family. (Please note, ADU is not part of tour.)

One important item on the wish list was a roof deck, where the clients (both avid tango dancers) could relax and entertain friends with summer night milongas. The roof deck in many ways shaped the form of the house, which has a flat roof surrounded by parapet walls; and also provides a livable outdoor space the tiny 1800 SF lot would not otherwise afford. At the top of the stairs, a skylight roof hatch controlled by pistons – which operate much like a hatch-back provides roof access. The skylight provides a central datum to the home’s vertical circulation, allowing light to filter between stair treads.

The clients opted for economical yet durable materials – cedar, painted cement fiber and corrugated metal, with patterns of texture and pops of color both inside and out. The Earth Advantage, Platinum certified home features triple-glazed windows, a highly efficient minim-split HVAC system with fresh air provided by an HRV, and reclaimed wood accents.

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D – Portland, OR

Architect: Thomas Robinson, LEVER Architecture
Photography: Lara Swimmer

Treehouse is a 7-story 71 unit multi-family apartment building located on a steep forested site on the Marquam Hill campus of the Oregon Health & Science University (OSHU) in Portland, OR. The project program provides housing for OHSU staff, students, and affiliates who are interested in a live/work/no commute lifestyle as well as a new retail destination on the ground floor.

The design bridges the urban and topographical qualities of the campus by placing the building as an “in the round” object in the forest. Instead of cutting into the hill, the building form is carved to follow the landscape. From the interior entry lobby the experience of the forested landscape is framed. From the exterior, the building connects the upper level bridge entry to the lower level retail and rain garden landscape and deck that mitigates all storm water runoff.

The units are designed as series of interlocking volumes arranged around a compact central core core. The irregular octagonal plan was driven by mandated setback points required to allow for glazing on every face of the building. Windows have been carefully placed to maximize the daylight in sense of space in the studio and-one bedroom flats.

The façade of the building is inspired by the textures and light of the forest. A continuous carved building skin is achieved by eliminating the expression of floor levels by incorporating all expansion joints into the custom window surrounds. Special attention was paid to the framing to allow for the precise placement of the windows at the corners as well as the detailing of thru façade venting. The skin has a consistent texture and pattern but intentional variety that gives the façade a dynamic quality that changes as you move along and around it and with time of day.

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E – Portland, OR

Architect: Robert Rummer
Photography: EricaAnn Photography

This is a classic restored Robert Rummer home, featuring a light bright atrium entry, vaulted post and beam ceilings, floor to ceiling windows and an open floor plan design. Robert Rummer was inspired by Eichler homes and this home is a gorgeous example of mid century modern architecture and design. It has a crisp, airy feel, with clean lines of elegant simplicity. This is a home full of understated elegance. The garden is filled with lush, unusual flowers and plants.

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F – Portland, OR

Homebuilder: Brent Keys/Homes by Brent Keys
Architect: Lee Winn – Winn Architecture
Photography: Rendering Space / Spencer Redford

In a class of its own, this stunning modern masterpiece features a light-filled open floor concept. Luxurious finishes and amenities, extraordinary floor-to-ceiling windows, and custom fireplaces harmonize together – presenting the perfect balance for living and entertaining.

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G – Portland, OR

Architect: Frank Shell

Designed in the mid fifties by Architect Frank Shell for a local doctor, this is an impressive example of a mid century modern home. Large expanses of floor to ceiling glass, vaulted ceilings with exposed beams, broad eaves and overhangs and generous use of natural wood in the interior are featured in the open floor plan. Shell established a wonderful indoor/outdoor relationship in all areas of the house resulting in a palpable feeling of connection to the beautiful site. The house has been featured in Sunset Magazine & Better Homes and Gardens and has been used for several photo shoots for local businesses.

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H- Portland, OR

Architect: Risa Boyer Leritz – Risa Boyer Architecture
Interior Design: Holly Freres – JHL Design, Inc.
Photography: Risa Boyer Leritz

This early 1970’s split level home has been completely remodeled and the floor plan reworked to create a functional home for entertaining, living and connecting to the landscape. The house was opened up to the front yard, creating a small walled-in front patio and opened up to the backyard through large bi-fold doors. A 600 sf master bedroom addition was added to the rear of the house along with a covered patio which the master bedroom and living space open up to. The carpeted split staircase connecting the upper and lower levels with the main level was replaced with a steel and oak open staircase to create a visual connection between the three levels. The existing sunken living room and stone fireplace were retained as a nod to the original era of the home. The house is modern but still warm and very livable. Large plate glass windows look out to the newly landscaped backyard. Long concrete retaining walls terrace the yard to create play and entertaining spaces while leaving ample room for plants and trees.