Boora Architects

This weekend retreat on the Central Oregon Coast is a sanctuary that balances private sleeping and work areas with a grand family gathering space. Designed in a Pacific Northwest Modern vernacular, the house is clean and sculptural with an abundance of natural wood and stone, as well as hand-crafted details.

Sitting above a coastal inlet, the house appears as a glowing lantern in the surrounding marshland.

The home is comprised of two structures – the main two-story living quarters and a garage/home office building – that flank a landscaped courtyard and are connected by a covered screened walkway.  The splayed, u-shaped composition shelters the courtyard from seasonal winds and winter storms, and provides privacy from the street. The buildings’ steeply angled roofs also shelter the house and focus the placement of windows.

Inside, the home is organized into social, private and office areas. The top floor of the main structure is a great room with 15-foot window walls and outdoor decks. The large open room offers sweeping views of the landscape and water from kitchen, dining and living areas.

Sleeping quarters are nestled amongst the coastal pines and grasses on the ground floor, limiting exposure to neighboring homes and opening to the enclosed courtyard.

The focus for materials and furnishing was on quality and cohesion. Throughout the house, hemlock wall paneling envelope the space in warmth on gray winter days and windows frame the views. In the great room, the fireplace and kitchen countertops offer accents of travertine in the wood-clad room. Wherever possible, furniture is built-in and storage is concealed to continue the seamless feel of the interiors.

Across the courtyard, a home office sits above the garage. The separation from the main living space helps create a refuge for focused work, while hemlock paneling lends a calm atmosphere away from the noise and activity of the rest of the house.