The Portland Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) Residence is a concept home for a family and their frequent guests that aims to make the most of PDX living and its environment: inner eastside location, connected open spaces with extensive natural light, cozy oasis’ for the long winters, modern timber construction, outdoor living amenities, stormwater management/celebration and accommodations for all who come to visit.
The concept started with the idea of a dream home located in one of Portland’s most vibrant inner eastside neighborhoods, with walking access to the city’s best restaurants, coffee shops and countless boutique shops. These neighborhoods (Hawthorne, Division/Clinton, Sellwood) are notably composed of standard 50’x100’ lots that allow for two units, or Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) that give residences flexibility to generate additional income through rent or Airbnb, or house long-term guests. The initial goal was to maximize the use of the lot size, with multiple indoor/outdoor uses, solar orientation, and craft the lot/structure with materials that are quintessentially Pacific Northwest and modern in their composition.
The result is a 3,600 sq. ft. home built from leveraging regional technological leadership in CLT construction, vast operable wood-framed glazing, an open layout with prioritization of common spaces, numerous but compact bedrooms, extensive at-home work spaces, vibrant materials such as coreten steel roofing and gabion rock walls, and the “extra”, the inclusion of an at home spa retreat.
Leveraging the region’s robust renewable energy, the Portland Residence is 100% electric (no natural gas) and intentionally opts out of using on-site solar panels in favor of plugging in to the network’s abundance of cleaner hydroelectric and wind-powered electricity. The vaulted spaces and operable glazing/skylights throughout the house, creating a chimney effect, allow the building to be naturally ventilated and cooled throughout the summer months. During the winter months, the home is heated with a hot water radiant floor system sandwiched in between the CLT panel and the engineered finish flooring. This sandwich flooring system also allows for flexibility with the home’s electrical distribution. In addition, the heating is supplemented by the large central wood-fired stove.
For a couple and their young family, with two kids and a dog, moving to a new house in Sellwood, Portland near the Willamette River was their dream. Luckily the 1910-built house had already been incredibly renovated by the previous owner, RJ Johnson, and was move-in ready, but many of the living spaces (both interior and exterior) still needed to be taken to the next level to meet the needs of the family of four, their guests, as well as achieve their desired PNW nature/modern cabin aesthetic.
The spaces and new design features embrace the use of the region’s most ubiquitous timber source, Douglas fir, an abundance of house plants, and a soft and cool color palette throughout the house to bring a calming feel to the place they’d be calling home for the foreseeable future.
New design and renovation aspects to the house included interior furnishings, decoration, interior wall and ceiling painting, basement family/TV room overhaul, custom shelving, front entry coat and shoe storage, an exterior backyard living space with custom modern Adirondack outdoor furniture, and spa addition including outdoor shower and hot tub.
With the intense daylight that falls upon the high desert of Central Oregon, the Gillard’s requested a shading device that would be universal in use to protect the primary working and reading spaces within the residence and the detached office while maintaining the tranquil views outward onto the ranch property.
The awnings are constructed principally of hemlock and redwood to provide a warm glow into the interior spaces. The slated shading structure is able to remain extremely lightweight, making possible for the easy adjustability by an individual of any strength (or removal during the harsh winter months) due to the tensile support of the structure’s underbelly.
The Modern Adirondack Chair is an initial prototype for an outdoor furniture business for the intent of consumer mass production, distribution and sales. With a current market void for affordable modern outdoor furniture, the chair aims to capture the vernacular charm, comfort and appeal of its traditional predecessors, while appealing to those with modern tastes and mainstream budgets. Composed simply of douglas fir, fasteners and a clear oil finish the materials alone have been optimized down to $27 total per unit. The model targets a $225 MSRP with a western red cedar option priced at $350.
For a Hood River, Oregon couple in their golden years, their 1890s-built farm house is the epicenter of their family-focused life. Unfortunately, with four generations under roof on a near-daily basis and a steady flow of welcome guests, the homes 1,458 square feet of living space simply wasn’t cutting it. The obvious choice – expand.
Saga Design Build was commissioned to not only provide additional living space, but also an open carport on a small city lot pushed up against very constraining Planning Department setbacks and development regulations. The design brief was to create an addition complimentary and respectful of the century old home, stay in-keeping with the neighborhood’s historic charm, but clearly be honest about its newer origins.
PROJECT INVOLVEMENT: Concept Design, Construction Project Manager
BUILDING AREA: 520 sf (conditioned)
CONSTRUCTION COST: $205,000
LOCATION: Hood River, Oregon
ARCHITECTS: Saga Design Build
CONTRACTOR: Saga Design Build
The north slope of Klickitat County’s Stacker Butte is a very special place. To the west views of the Columbia River Gorge capture dramatic sunsets and to the north Mount Adams’ glaciated twelve-thousand feet dominate the horizon. More, and notable for a couple from Olympia, Washington, the Butte spans two drier and ideal micro-climate zones, with a hybrid of ponderosa dominated forest, and a lower grassland dotted with shrub oak – a place locals call High Prairie.
After a decade of camping on the site, and entering into retirement, the couple knew Stacker Butte’s north slope would be the perfect location for a rural and modest second home. Embracing their tight budget, Saga Design Build crafted a 1,000 square foot modern cabin centered around a modest great room, flanked by two bedroom suites, and with a covered breezeway forming a central corridor between the house, garage and wind-protected back patio. To maximize the budget, construction focused on a core-and-shell approach giving the client the opportunity to finish the interior spaces over time.
PROJECT INVOLVEMENT: Construction Project Manager
BUILDING AREA: 1,000 sf + 300 sf Garage
CONSTRUCTION COST: $410,000
LOCATION: Klickitat County, Washington
ARCHITECTS: Saga Design Build
CONTRACTOR: Saga Design Build
For a doctor in Portland, Oregon the city represents a great place to work and live, but when the weekend rolls around his heart roams to a quieter place – Hood River, on the bluffs above the Columbia River. At his second home, Saga Design Build was commissioned to add a modest but sharply crafted outdoor dining shelter to round out the properties outdoor living spaces. Siting adjacent to the properties Pool House the rough-sawn Douglas fir and western red cedar structure plays off of the properties existing architectural language, while standing out as its own distinct element.
PROJECT INVOLVEMENT: Design Lead, Architect, Construction Project Manager
BUILDING AREA: 180 sf
CONSTRUCTION COST: $54,000
LOCATION: Hood River, Oregon
ARCHITECTS: Saga Design Build
CONTRACTOR: Saga Design Build
