Providing a sense of calm and refuge in balance with the landscape and sky, this 4,300 square-foot home in Bend, Oregon is designed as a regular weekend getaway for a couple and their extended family. The house by architecture practice Hacker draws on the natural forms, colours and textures of the surrounding landscape which includes volcanic cinder cones, lava flows, and jagged mountains.
The exterior palette of cedar, steel, and glass asserts a bold presence in the landscape with simple, shifting exterior plans. From afar, the cedar cladding that wraps the house appears monolithic. From up close, variations and natural imperfections in the wood reveal an organized pattern in tune with the rugged surrounding environment.
Windows are strategically placed so that each room has a framed view of land and sky that is unique in and of itself. This attention to framing views brings into focus the immediacy of the desert flora and fauna, the hills and in the distance, and the seemingly endless desert sky.
A sense of spaciousness inside is created with the use of opaque elements versus physical enclosures. The same cedar used for the cladding is repeated throughout the interior, resulting in a continuous feel through the glass and a blended indoor-outdoor feeling. Alongside this, a simple palette of white, black, and natural wood results in a timeless background.
Simple to operate and maintain, the house prioritizes analogue over high-tech elements so that the family and their guests feel in control of the environment without the need for special technical skills.