5
BELOW & FACING PAGE: I situated the house as close to the river as possible, five feet above the 100-year flood-line. I organized the plan to focus on two important
kayak-related site features: the rapids and the launch. The living room is constructed of earth-colored, split-face masonry, and the dining room is clad in gold-colored
Douglas fir. The first floor follows the terrain of the riverbank, resulting in a two-level space that emphasizes the large river views. The house is designed for aging in
place, and the levels are connected with a wheelchair ramp, integrated into the terraced aesthetic of the interior. The living room can serve as a bedroom, allowing
a view of the river from the bed, and the picture window acts as a movie screen to capture the constantly changing natural world and the riverbank outside. The view
from this oversized, 18-foot-high window permeates life inside the home, as it can be enjoyed from multiple interior spaces including the living room, dining room,
kitchen, and second-floor study. Inside, exposed angled-steel framing and large-scale wood mullions suggest a texture of interior branches and act as an extension
of the natural world inside the house.
Photographs by Tim Griffith