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Cascade Range Outlook

Husum, WA

When the lot faces south and the view is of Mount Hood, only great design should result. This 3,600 square foot home encompasses one-floor living with a tower room for getting away and a garden level for guests. Natural material, intimate volumes, and local craftsmanship make living here easy. 

Many homeowners want a connected space that works well as the living room, kitchen, and dining area–and they are looking for this in a more intimate volume than those experienced in the bigger great rooms we often see in timber framing and large houses. We call this more intimate and open gathering space the Commons. Done well, it can feel just as comfortable when two sit down to read for the evening or twelve come for a dinner party.

Social activities are part of what makes us uniquely human, and our homes can make these times additionally special. In a more modest floor plan, the timbers “frame” the Commons, offering their unique and embracing warmth.

There is an overall balance to the public and private spaces within this Washington home, allowing opportunities to enjoy the quiet or step inwards to socialize. The tower room serves as a library and get-away for homeowners Jim and Pam to find peaceful moments. The upper-level space puts the Douglas fir timber trusses almost within reach and places reclaimed hardwood flooring, replete with original character marks, underfoot. Overall the tower room embraces biophilic intent, the positive impact environments rich with natural characteristics, such as wood, can impart on the occupant’s health and wellbeing. 

Visitors are welcomed under a king post truss covered porch and through a custom crafted door. The exterior of the adjacent tower section is clad with reclaimed weathered wood, juxtaposed with modern windows and a metal roof. This melding of contemporary and traditional elements and design hints to the style and details within the home. 

On the back, the southern side of Jim and Pam’s home, views of Mount Hood are enjoyed. Windows and a timber frame shed roof overhang were carefully placed to maximize those views while minimizing the often-aggressive southern exposure.