south elevation

site photo

floor plan

Like the bird its form resembles, this house will rest lightly in ecological terms on its remote southern Oregon site. The house will be entirely off the grid, heated only by the sun and a wood stove and powered by photovoltaics. Roof rainwater will be caught in cisterns around the house and slowly pumped up hill to a water tank behind the house to supplement well water.

The house will be built of straw bales and site milled trees. The 80-acre, semi-wooded site holds fir, pine, oak, and madrone that will be used for framing, sheathing, cabinetry and finish carpentry throughout the house. The curves were introduced at the rear of the bedroom and living room wings to take advantage of straw bale construction's improved structural performance in a rounded shape. The remainder of the walls will be square reflecting the rectilinear nature of wood framing. Keeping costs down is a significant factor in this project.

Taking advantage of this spectacularly beautiful site and the generally temperate climate, the house's south walls weave seamless connections to the outdoors. As a one story house, all of the rooms, even the master bathroom shower, have large doors or windows connecting to the site.

In addition to the house, we have designed a guest house/shop for the property. The guest house/shop will be constructed of the same materials as the house and will be similarly off the grid. The house will be approximately 2400 square feet with two bedrooms and two baths and the guest house/shop will be about 1200 square feet.

Construction is ongoing.