Explore The 2023 Tour Homes
Showcasing Amazing Examples of PNW Modern Architecture Today!
image courtesy GSW Architects
Showcasing Amazing Examples of PNW Modern Architecture Today!
About 48 hours before Tour Day, watch your email for a printable PDF map and info packet, as well as links to a dynamic online map for easy navigation.
Travel at your own pace as you visit the homes in any order you wish between 10 AM and 4 PM on Saturday only.
The homeowners purchased the personal residence of local Mid-Century builder and designer, Ken Birkemeier, originally built in 1965 and perched on a steep slope overlooking the Portland skyline, four mountains, and the Willamette River.
The main goals of the remodel were to create an open plan on the main level by reorganizing the kitchen and laundry room, and relocating the existing, tight and dark staircase. The redesign also allowed for a primary suite on the main level as well as an office and powder room, and two guest bedrooms were relocated on the lower level. The shallow, main level deck was expanded and cantilevered out over the steep slope, enlarging the key outdoor space adjacent to the living and dining room.
In addition to improving the functionality of the home for the family, the building envelope was upgraded with better insulation and the siding and windows were replaced for a more efficient home. The street-facing facade was streamlined by simplifying the front roof line, and the entry door was moved to the side of the house with the addition of an enlarged porch. Seismic upgrades were also installed to better secure the home to the steeply sloping hillside.
While remodeling the entire home, it was important to save some key existing features of the original design such as the post and beam roof structure and a stone cladded fireplace in the living room. A few existing beams were salvaged and reused in a newly vaulted office on the main level as well.
images: Adam Potts
The Grube Residence is a modest, modern chalet designed and built by celebrated local architect Joachim Grube in 1966 for he and his family. This unique Northwest Regional Style home is in pristine, nearly original condition.
Designed for sloped land the home has a concrete superstructure that has 6 piers which pass from the exterior to the interior and create natural divides within the spaces. It features stunning views of the forest from every room, beautiful clear fir cedar ceilings with impressive wood beams and bookended terraces.
While touring the home you’ll also get to take in artwork by the renowned Pacific Northwest woodcarver and dear friend of Grube’s, Leroy Setziol, the carvings and weavings of his daughter, Monica Setziol-Phillips, and block printing which was done by Grube himself, an accomplished printmaker.
Joachim Grube was a founding member of venerable YGH Architecture. For a half century, Grube designed projects around the world as detailed in his 2020 memoir, “A Window in History: An Architect at the Crossroads to Globalization.”Grube also collaborated with revered architect Pietro Belluschi to design six churches in the Portland area.Grube, who died in 2022 at age 89, was awarded the title of Fellow of the American Institute of Architecture in 1987 for his architectural contributions.
Please park efficiently and be respectful of the neighbors on Burton Road, which is a dead end street.
images: Jeff Weithman | Real Estate Through Design | (W)here
This is an architecturally ambitious backyard ADU, with the presence of a larger home. Modern wood finishes, clean detailing and abundant glazing create a warm and expansive structure that starts as a simple shed at the street, but then slides past the existing home and unfolds into a large living space with floor to ceiling glass opening onto a private garden.
images: Justin Cordova
Wendy Scott Design is proud to present the Slender House Project. Nestled in the Mississippi neighborhood, the existing structure has been given a fresh face with updates to walls, tile, art, furniture and more. This home provided the perfect blank slate to bring in designer Kristin Van Buskirk of Woonwinkel for consultation on a color palette that harmonizes with the existing architectural material palette by Waechter Architecture. With quarter-sawn white oak flooring, cabinets, doors, and windows flooding the space with light, the palette needed to be as uplifting and refined as the original space.
The Slender House Project features artisan marble tile by Pratt + Larson and wall color from Miller Paint’s Northwest Color Collection. Accessories were sourced from a mixture of local shops and antique stores. The furnishing and styling decisions embrace local makers, original art from the owner, and layered textures. Bold, custom murals by Banyan Bridges in the stairwell and primary bathroom tie this home’s color palette together.
The result is a vibrant home interior that excites and delights.
images: Heather Keeling
This custom home is one of two built next door to each other for two sisters and their families. A larger urban plot was divided into two parcels and now hosts two custom homes.
Decidedly rooted in the Pacific Northwest Modern style, the home uses simple shifting masses and pairs shed and flat roofs to respond to the sloping site. Spaces and glazing are strategically located to provide passive solar access, frame exterior views, and privacy from neighboring properties. Exterior materials feature painted lap siding in a couple different textures, natural wood cladding, board formed concrete, metal clad windows, and metal roofs.
In celebration of Pacific Northwest Modernism, the interior makes liberal use of wood fittings. Douglas fir casework, window frames, doors, and trim. Cedar clad ceiling. Oregon white oak flooring.
Landscape Summary: This residential project is a humble tribute to the beauty of modern design combined with the natural landscape. The site represents a balance between functionality and aesthetics, showcasing large concrete slabs with decomposed granite joints and board-formed concrete walls along with a rain garden and natural stone terrace.
images: KLiK Concepts
Stunning yet sophisticated PNW Modern set amongst the trees on a 1.6-acre park-like property in convenient SW Portland location. Sustainably renovated to include premium designer finishes, European appliances, and thoughtful spaces that blend the old with new. Spacious deck and outdoor hardscape offer ample options to entertain. Long private drive with detached garage and flex studio space.
The original builder and homeowner was a carpenter who built bird houses on site. You can see them throughout the property. The design team that worked on this renovation includes Aubrey McCormick and Walker Templeton, co-founders of Black Sheep Design and the architect of record is Jason Karam, of Process Architecture. The home is presented by Aubrey McCormick of Twyne Design.
images: courtesy Twyne Design
More homes, more ideas! Check out more homes on Tour Day with expertly crafted outdoor spaces at in the 2023 Landscape Architecture Extension. Included free with your Tour Ticket!
The Colonial Heights project was an exterior transformation for a family that was growing up. Our clients were ready to say goodbye to the backyard trampoline, small goal nets, uneven brick patio and weedy lawn patch . Their functional needs list consisted of a covered outdoor area with a fireplace and heat lamps for year-round use, a spacious dining patio for hosting large family dinners, a partially enclosed grill station, updated storage and utility zones, an eco-smart pet relief zone, and casual lounging areas all contained within the privacy envelope of a garden.
The four season outdoor pavilion is an extension of the main residence (designed by eMZed Architecture) and features a space for the homeowners’ to entertain while hosting sports viewing parties, BBQ tastings (grill station is home to both a Lynx and Traeger grill), and cozy family nights gathered around the double sided fireplace.
The landscape is enclosed by a gray washed horizontal fence and a pollarded hornbeam hedge. From patios to pathways, the contemporary shape of the hex pavers provides a unique range of layout options not possible with a traditional four sided paver. Gravel pathways and a casual lounge patio nestled in the perennial garden provide additional opportunities for outdoor living (featuring furnishing by LOLL).
The backyard renovation was such a success that our clients quickly asked for a front yard renovation to enhance the curb appeal of the property. A tired lawn and broken concrete walkway were elevated with a brick courtyard garden adding cohesion to the historic facade of the circa 1928 home.
The exterior renovation was part of a larger home renovation project led by Keyan Mizani of eMZed Architecture, interior design by Ann Reed, and construction by Tom Champion Builders. The landscape and hardscape designs were by Kristien Evans of Fusion Landscape Design and installed by Mark Parisen of Fiddlehead Landscapes.
images: Seppi Ramos
This Refreshing NW contemporary garden is surrounded by several mature Fir trees in desired Lake Oswego.
A 1955 original contemporary on a quarter acre was modernized and reconstructed by JAG Ventures in 2020-2021, designed by Fieldwork Design and Architecture and then purchased by the current owners.
The blank slate of 8,800 SF was designed by Helena Wagner of 4 Season Gardens LLC in the Spring of 2021. Large pavers leading to the entrance to the house complement the architectural structure of the home defined by clean lines.
Large boulders that were excavated from the property were strategically placed to accentuate and hold metal edging throughout the property. Straight gravel paths lead to the back garden created for outdoor living. A large covered sitting area with a fireplace is for entertainment and enjoyment for the owners and guests. There are wooden arches to define the entrance of the garden space with a water feature as the focal point.
Throughout the garden, a consistency of materials, large pavers, and metal edging, create a cohesive look. This low maintenance garden is full of plants with a contrast in texture, color, and interest. It’s a stunning personal retreat that increases the outdoor livability while providing year-round interest.
images: Wayfarer Photography, Brad Chandler
Tour the homes. Meet the architects and designers, and Get Inspired! The 2023 Portland Modern Home Tour takes you inside of Houston’s coolest homes, and face-to-face with the creative geniuses that make them a reality!
