GRAY Magazine

A new build on a precipitous lot draws upon its dramatic setting.

Generations come and go, but the landscape is forever. Case in point: this modern three-story residence has a shape informed by the steep, rocky site it occupies on the western bank of Oregon’s Willamette River. Situated about seven miles south of Portland’s downtown core, the property was purchased by the current homeowner’s father in the 1960s. She and her two sisters spent childhood summers at the home, waterskiing and fishing in the river.

“We had the most glorious time growing up there,” she says. “We wanted our children and grandchildren to have the same experience.” When her father passed away and left her the property in 2015, she and her husband immediately began planning a renovation of the house so it could accommodate large gatherings (they sometimes host up to 18 family members at once) and multiple overnight guests.

“This property has undergone several different construction projects,” says Risa Boyer, founder of Portland-based Risa Boyer Architecture. “When the three daughters moved out in the ‘70s, their father split the lot and built a smaller house for himself and his wife. After the land was passed on to the client, we started talking about remodeling her father’s house - but it became clear very quickly that renovating would be just as expensive as building new.”

VIEW ARTICLE