Newberg Residence

Newberg, United States – Cutler Anderson Architects

Built Area:     1650.0 m2
Year Built:     2013
Photographs:    Jeremy Bittermann

Newberg Residence is a home one wouldn’t normally expect to find inside the forest. It’s like an oasis inside an oasis – a place of respite after a long walk. The site is an overgrown area located inside a vineyard. The structure itself stands on a man-made pond. This means that visitors would have to cross a bridge to get inside the house.

The façade is clad in glass, weathering steel, and Douglas fir. It’s made of timber roof and a simple steel frame. One look at the house and one can see that first class design principles were utilized. These resulted to a home that is both highly functional and versatile.

The inside of the home features an open floor plan. Large glass walls provide breathtaking views of the picturesque landscape.

But perhaps one of Newberg’s Residence charm is present in the small details. Case in point, In the living area, there’s a sliding glass door that extends into a small platform. This serves as a diving board, allowing occupants to easily dive into the water.

Notes from the Architect:

This single-family 1,650 square foot residence and 550 sf guest house was designed to broaden the owners’ already strong emotional connection to the living world.  The owners and architect Jim Cutler of Cutler Anderson Architects chose the site of an overgrown, man-made pond in an area of the owners’ 88 acre vineyard that was not conducive to cultivation.

The design attempts to make the pond and residence a single entity in which the owners can enjoy and connect with the wild creatures that come to the water on both regular and varied schedules.  To this end, the building of Douglas Fir and Cor-ten steel was placed as a bridge across the north end of the pond.  The pond itself was enlarged and loosely ordered to integrate with the structure of the residence.

The site plan was choreographed so that visitors park their vehicles 150 feet away.  They then walk through the forest to a bridge crossing a small section of the pond, and on to the main entry. The broad vista of the pond offers a compressive release upon opening the front door.  It is the hope that this experience will be memorable to the visitor.

Designed as a simple steel frame carrying a wooden roof structure, the primary box houses a kitchen, living/dining room and master bedroom.  An indoor mudroom “link” connects the home to the garage.  To enable guests to experience the place, the guest house is connected by an outdoor covered walkway.

Integral to the design of the residence, south-facing glazing (Cardinal LoE 272) maximizes light and warmth in the Pacific Northwest.  The home also uses radiant heating in the floors.  The wood and steel construction materials were locally-sourced; and native vegetation fosters wildlife.

To date the owners regularly observe:  Dragonflies, Crawfish, Rainbow trout, Bats, Cedar waxwings, A blue heron (named Herman), Wood ducks, Hawks, Garter snakes, Frogs, Salamanders, Possum, Deer, Raccoons, Coyotes.

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Exterior Views:

Interior Views:

Drawing Views:

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