Boora Architects

The Oregon Coast's dense forests and panoramic views have enchanted residents and visitors alike for their lush vegetation, abundant wildlife, and captivating mystery. When planning a retreat house in this environment, Boora principal Stan Boles and his wife Wendy Kahle, a painter, not only let the outdoors in, through expansive glass. They also let the inherent properties of their narrow, forested infill site drive the design of the house.

Occupying a spit of land between Slab Creek, the Pacific Ocean, and the preserved lands of the Siuslaw National Forest, the tiny hamlet of Neskowin, Oregon, has long been a popular retreat spot for residents of Oregon's larger Willamette Valley communities, such as Portland, Salem, and Eugene.

In its analysis of Stan's and Wendy's Neskowin site, the design team sought to develop a design that responded creatively to the vertical structure of the tree canopy.  At ground level, dense coastal scrub plants obscured views to the ocean.  However a clearing above this scrub tier and the soaring Douglas fir canopy above provided extraordinary opportunities for long views of the coastline and the ocean.

Like the Boora Beach House a few hundred yards away, the Boles/Kahle Beach House inverts  the layout of the standard American house.  The design places the living room, dining room, and kitchen on the house's highest level, where the views to the ocean and the availability of daylight are greatest. Placing the living space in this elevated position allows the design to use extensive glass without compromising the residents' privacy. Two decks extend this space into the landscape with one deck overlooking the ocean and another overlooking the entry courtyard.

The studio and bedrooms on the first and second floors, respectively, use simply detailed fir boards for wall surfaces. Along with sliding wall panels and opaque glass pocket doors, this material brings the outdoors in, offering warmth, comfort, and privacy.

A three-story design minimizes the house's footprint, allowing it to occupy only a small amount of the small, infill site's ground area. Within the envelope of the three-story volume, service elements are used to organize the space and frame views.

The stairway is located on the north side of the house, as it requires no windows and thus offers privacy from a neighboring structure. Outside, the pure form and simple detailing of the freestanding woodshed parallels freestanding volumes within the house, such as casework, a kitchen Island, and closets separating the second-floor bedrooms.

Similar volumes applied to the exterior contain a fireplace and a dumbwaiter.

With thoughtful siting, only three trees had to be removed to accomodate the house. Natural materials are used in the garden walls, site work, and architecture. All stone was found on site or sourced from a local quarry.