Basecamp is located in Bend, a beautiful Central Oregon city know widely as a haven for those who love the outdoors, with a pedestrian-friendly downtown, and a short distance to the Deschutes River, hiking, biking, and Oregon’s best skiing. In a place where the existing architecture is heavy and reminiscent of ski lodges, Basecamp seeks instead to honor the landscape– using forms and materials that help the townhomes to fit in rather than stand out. The result is 8 elegant, human-scaled urban homes (with a 17-unit expansion underway) that take advantage of Basecamp’s location and the beauty of Central Oregon. When all three phases of this townhouse project are complete, it will include a total of 25 light-filled, airy units, plus 25 Accessory Dwelling Units.
The design idea behind Basecamp was simple: bring the best elements of the high desert landscape into the city’s core, and make each design decision in service to the natural wonder and beauty of Central Oregon. Rather than creating a structure that distracts from the landscape, the objective was to use thoughtful, simple forms that utilize regional materials that honor and complement the natural setting. As a nod to Bend’s logging community origins and the neighborhood’s history as a mill district, the exterior is distinguished by cedar wood cladding with a warmer fir in the porches and decks that evoke log carvings. These regionally-sourced materials were chosen to help take the focus off the buildings, and they will weather gracefully throughout the life of the townhomes.
Basecamp’s units range from 3-4 bedrooms, with windows and interior layouts strategically arranged to frame views to the surrounding landscape, bringing pieces of the outdoors in. Natural materials and low contrast daylighting techniques are used to enhance the sense of being outdoors while inside. Ample windows, white walls, and warm wood finishes help to create bright living spaces that feel bigger than they are. Basalt tiles arranged in an offset pattern in the
bathrooms evoke the rock formations of the high desert.
When complete, Basecamp will encircle a shared central courtyard which includes outdoor dining and picnicking space, seating, and hammocks arranged around a communal campfire. Each townhouse property has an attached studio apartment ADU, providing the unique opportunity for homeowners to create rentals or guest houses in this popular, density-hungry neighborhood.
Basecamp is Certified Earth Advantage Platinum.