Wilkinson Residence

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Other Projects by Robert Harvey Oshatz Architect

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Chenequa Residence

Wilkinson Residence

Firm

Robert Harvey Oshatz Architect

Type

Residential › Private House

The Wilkinson Residence is difficult to find. Located in the
heavily wooded hills that surround the commercial heart of Portland, with all
their steep and winding roads this would be expected, but as the driveway drops
hastily from the street, beneath the branches of Douglas Firs, Maples, and
Alders, the building effectively disappears from sight. In fact there are no
real vistas that allow the building to be easily viewed or even photographed; it
is almost as if the building is being swallowed up by the forest from every
angle.

It seems almost inexplicable that a house with such bold
forms and so dramatic cantilevers could remain even remotely anonymous, yet, as
the shadows of leaves cast dappled light over the weathering copper, as the
curving lines of the shingles begin to resemble the grains of sawn timber, and
glass throws back images of the surrounding forest, it becomes completely obvious
that this building is at peace with its environment. It then comes as no
surprise that client desired a house that felt as if it were isolated in the
forest and would allow him to hear the songs of birds.

Design work for the Wilkinson Residence began in 1997 and
underwent a number of significant redesigns before construction was started in
July of 2000. Mr Oshatz undertook the task of completing the construction
himself and by 2002 the structure was practically complete. The result is a
truly unique building.

The steep slope of the site provided
an opportunity to bring the building out into the forest canopy. Entry to the
house is made through a small courtyard after walking down the steep driveway.
The floor then continues out over the slope as the ground rapidly drops away.
By the time the cantilevered deck reaches out amongst the trees, the floor
level is some 25 feet above the ground. When stepping through the front door
the difference between the damp shaded descent of the driveway and the
explosion of bright green light, shed by leaves through every window is
obvious. By letting the floor continue out at the same level, the building begins
to feel like a platform held high in the forest canopy.

The most striking element upon
entering the Wilkinson Residence is the architectural form. Entrance is made
under a low sweeping copper roof that turns downward to form a half cylinder,
and through a door that consist of a single “D” shaped piece of glass that
pivots where the curved wall hits the ground. The cylindrical form then runs
through the remainder of the main living space, over the kitchen, through the
meditation room and is taken up by the edge of the deck which somewhat
resembles a skateboarder’s quarter pipe. The tube like form provides a cohesive
link that seems to tie the whole composition together.

The meditation room is the
culmination of the cylindrical form. Here two frameless glass doors cleverly
slide back into two white rings, leaving an 8 ft circular opening. Inside, the
room is a complete cylinder; all walls and windows follow the form. The room
extends past the main living space and out onto the deck where a daybed,
surrounded by glass is positioned in a cylindrical space that really defies
description. The room allows for sunlight to enter and warm the space, while
the occupant is audibly isolated from the rest of the house.

As the white walls of the main
living space follow the cylindrical form and curve up over the kitchen and
hallway; curved glue laminated Douglas Fir beams seem to float over, unaffected
and out through the glass into the forest beyond. So too do the undulating
shingles which move seamlessly through the glazing, as if there was no
definition between inside and out. A frameless glazing system is used
throughout the house to further facilitate the flow of space through the
windows. Combined with the low cabinets, and the removal of structure from the
skin of the building, these methods break down the barriers of the enclosure.

The bedrooms are all located on the
lower floor. Here, the pallet is the same as the main floor and the materials
are still brought through the glazing, but the lower level has a very different
feeling. The hallway feels tighter and has little natural light, and the rooms which
still have expansive glazing feel less airy. Large fins between each window, clad
in shingles, protrude outward, which when combining with the long shingle clad
soffit have the effect of enclosing the view to the outside. Where the main
floor had a feeling of being a platform, the lower floor feels almost cave
like. It would be difficult to understand the change between the two floors
without understanding the change outside. Where the main floor hung amongst the
forest canopy, the lower floor sits beneath it. Underneath the trees it is dark
and due to the Oregon
climate, usually quite wet. The lower floor still lets connections exist
between inside and out, but does so more in a protective manner.

In the Wilkinson Residence, Oshatz
has created a captivating structure. The house is comfortable, and the gently
flowing forms provide a calm that is seldom felt in contemporary homes. Yet it
is the way that the building connects to its exterior that is its most
compelling quality. Nowhere, not even in the dim hallway on the lower floor or
the deeply recessed bedrooms do you feel any disconnection to the forest
outside. It is fitting that the main living space is adorned with the most
beautiful aspects of this connection. Whether it is the summer sun lighting up
the green of the canopy or the light winter rain gently rolling off rafters which
seem to disappear amongst the trees, the architect’s intentions are obvious.

According to Oshatz “every site has
its own poetic sense of beauty”; this plays a significant part in driving the
direction of his projects, which when combined with the pragmatic requirements
of the brief, and the physical conditions of the site allow him each time to
arrive at astoundingly unique solutions for each project. He says that his aim as
an architect is to “create buildings that are at peace with their surroundings,
while the occupants are at peace within”. The Wilkinson Residence represents
the achievement of this ideal.

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Wilkinson Residence

Other Projects by Robert Harvey Oshatz Architect

Chenequa Residence

Wilkinson Residence

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team