- Project: Hood River Residence
- Architect: Scott I Edwards Architecture
- Location: United States, Hood River, Oregon
- Year: 2018
- Area: 325 m2
- Photography: Peter Eckert
A Home Carved into Landscape and Light
Sited on the northern slope of Booth Hill overlooking the orchards and valleys of Hood River, the Hood River Residence by Scott | Edwards Architecture is an elegant marriage of topography, materiality and vista. The long, rectilinear plan stretches across the terrain, its profile tuned to both the agricultural valley below and the forested hillside behind.
The design’s ambition is clear: to craft a dwelling that feels embedded in place, commanding clear views of Mount Adams to the north while sheltering from prevailing winds and weather from the south. A prominent concrete wall runs the length of the house, grounding the structure into the site and providing a protective anchor for the volumes that open northward.
Formal Strategy: Volume, View & Protection
The architectural form is deceptively simple: one long bar divided into two volumes beneath a single roof plane. The larger volume houses the principal living, kitchen, and bedrooms; the smaller arm accommodates a guest suite. Both open out onto a generous outdoor deck, blurring the boundary between interior and nature.
Materially, the use of board-formed concrete, glass expanses and warm wood accents conveys both strength and refinement. The concrete wall not only anchors the house but acts as a shield from the elements, particularly the cold northern winds and southern storms characteristic of the site. In contrast, the north façade becomes mostly glass, tapping into the sweeping valley and mountain views.
Spatial Flow & Living Experience
Entering the house, one progresses along the concrete wall corridor—software of spatial compression that releases into the full volume of the living area with expansive glazing. The sequence builds anticipation: the enclosed, grounded approach opens into panoramic space. The living, dining and kitchen flow directly onto a covered terrace with outdoor hearth, integrating the interior with the site’s dramatic viewscape.
The bedrooms are positioned such that each occupancy zone enjoys the view while benefiting from high performing envelope design: glazing oriented to the north, service spaces and buffer zones to the south. This strategic orientation ensures natural light, passive comfort and a palpable connection to place.
Why Its Architecture Resonates
What sets the Hood River Residence apart is the way it synthesises site, climate, view and craft into one coherent gesture. Rather than fighting the hillside, the architecture embraces it. Rather than dominating the vista, it opens toward it with humility and precision.
-
Site-responsive: The alignment, roof pitch, material shielding and glazing all respond directly to the topography, climate and view corridor.
-
Material clarity: The restrained palette—concrete, glass, wood—ensures timelessness while accentuating the surrounding natural environment.
-
Spatial refinement: At 3,500 ft² the home manages to feel generous yet human-scaled; the long plan distributes program in a way that promotes both community and intimacy.
-
Indoor-outdoor integration: The generous deck, the orientation toward the valley and the visual continuity ensure that the experience extends beyond walls.
For those exploring modern residential architecture attuned to terrain, context and craft, the Hood River Residence offers a potent exemplar.
