Sunset Homes: Architect Dewitt C. Robinson | built in Osweldo Skylands, Oregon

12/12/2024 12:30:00 PM

The natural site was altered very little for this house in Oswego Skylands, 10 miles south of Portland. The house nestles just below the brow of a wooded knoll, at the feet of stately Douglas firs, and almost every room has a magnificent view of the Willamette River several hundred feet below, and the majestic Mount Hood several miles away.

The house design capitalizes on its surroundings. The roof has a gentle pitch, so the house seems to hug the hill. The exterior siding was left its natural color to blend in with the soil and meadows. Gray-green panels by the entry pick up the foliage color of the Douglas firs.

If you look at the plan at right, you will see that the house structure encloses a court. However, this is not an inward- turning house with main views toward the court and outdoor living concentrated there. Living areas of the house really face the river scene. Visitors enter through the court, then become aware of the orientation toward the view as they encounter in rapid succession the huge windows of the living room, and the deck off the dining room, where the owners entertain, enjoy breakfast or lunch, soak up the morning sun, or just sit and admire their view. (The deck is set over in front of the kitchen to preserve the view from the dining room.)

The master bedroom faces into the hill and cool shade of the Douglas firs. Its terrace can be shut off for privacy or thrown open to the inner court merely by opening or closing double doors in the wall of the covered entry walk. Since the doors are covered with the same siding as the wall they are hardly noticeable when closed.

Solid panels alternate with slatted panels to separate the drive from the patio and entry court. The solid panels keep the house interior hidden from arrivals in the driveway. The slatted panels make the court seem open to persons looking out from the house or the patio.

The huge garden has some selected plantings to supplement the natural growth of the area; otherwise only the patio area has an appreciable amount of cultivated plant material. A barbecue is in a clearing away from the house.