Cover The glass courtyard of this family sanctuary in Oregon, designed by No Architecture
The glass courtyard of this family sanctuary in Oregon, designed by No Architecture
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See how No Architecture works with the Oregon landscape to design a sanctuary in tune with the elements
The idea of dissolving the boundaries between architecture and landscape is often thrown around. For this distinctive property in Oregon, every aspect of the home easily blurs this line. “The core value of our design is in our name: No Architecture,” shares the team. “This means connecting the inside to the outside, making the architecture disappear into nature and making the infrastructure of daily living disappear, highlighting human activity.”
Nestled in the woods of Oregon wine country, this glass house takes deep inspiration from its surroundings. The topography faces east, but ideally, it had to face the south to maximise sun exposure during winter. “To reconcile these competing demands, we cut a courtyard in the centre of the home,” says the No Architecture team. “This also activates passive cooling in the summertime, as the courtyard stays ventilated.”
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Above Deciduous trees providing the home with ventilation and shade through the seasons
Deciduous trees providing the home with ventilation and shade through the seasons
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A hundred-year-old Douglas fir tree stands near the home, anchoring the space with its canopy of leaves while delineating horizontal and vertical axes. The No Architecture team sees the Oregon state tree as essential to the design story, using beams made of Douglas fir to create an umbrella-like structure framed by cantilevered roofs. Other nearby trees shade the house strategically, allowing the house to adapt to the seasons. During the summer, the deciduous trees cool the home. As autumn returns, the trees lose their leaves, allowing for a suffusion of bright winter sun.
Above The home is sunken into the landscape, with an underground garage cut into the hillside
The home is sunken into the landscape, with an underground garage cut into the hillside
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The home is sunken into the landscape, with an underground garage cut into the hillside. This introduces more privacy into the space but also adds thermal insulation through the concrete stem walls. This insulates the space from the elements while maintaining exposed concrete walls for a brutalist touch.
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Above Expansive outdoor views from the living room and the kitchen
Above Immersion in nature from the living room, which can be reconfigured to become a bedroom
Expansive outdoor views from the living room and the kitchen
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The home then opens into L-shaped interior partitions, creating alcoves that make the space feel like a giant loft. The homeowners can lounge around, with easy access to the kitchen, bathrooms, and living area. At night, the L-shaped walls feature secret panels and doors that reconfigure the space into bedrooms.
Flexibility also extends to its furniture, which the homeowners rearrange to suit their needs. Whether they seek an office setup during the day or arrange a dinner with family and friends, this unique space readily adjusts.
One piece that accompanies the family from day to night is the siesta chair, made by Norwegian mid-century modernist architect and designer Ingmar Relling. “Made of teak and cantilevered with bent teak legs instead of steel, they’re comfortable enough to sleep in,” the team shares. “It shares similar design features with Mies’ Barcelona chairs, but makes them more organic and human-centred.”
The tables are another key feature in the home. Made of solid-core, old-growth Douglas fir doors from a previous project, they were turned into tabletops for the home. Their foldable legs ensure homeowners can move them around depending on what they need that day.
Above The hundred-year-old Douglas fir tree overlooking the property
The hundred-year-old Douglas fir tree overlooking the property
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“Our goal was to create a house that connects the best of nature with the convenience of urban life,” says the No Architecture team. Less than half an hour’s drive from downtown Portland, this home is a sustainable sanctuary within the city’s reach.
The design thus complements an endless capacity for change, with nature cycling through seasons and the family growing over time. Even the most mundane moments are charged with clarity, becoming an opportunity for reflection. For the homeowners, “the everyday experience of watching the Oregon sunrise and sunset, hearing the leaves rustle and the birds chirp, becomes a heightened experience.” The result is a space that “creates a higher spiritual, ecological and social connection between humans, nature and architecture.”
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Credits
Photography: Iwan Baan
About
Celine first read Charlotte’s Web at the age of five–and she hasn’t stopped turning pages since. Her favourite authors are Mona Awad and Nat Cassidy. Besides writing for Tatler, she listens to BTS and spends time with her family.
Work
Celine took up secondary education with a major in English, graduating from De La Salle University in 2023. She advocates for female empowerment through creative expression by writing for Tatler Homes.
For story leads or inquiries, you may reach out to her via celine.dabao@tatlerasia.com.
