Located in the West Hills above downtown Portland, the project consisted of renovating an existing indoor swimming pool room and transforming an unfinished basement utility and storage area into a wine cellar and changing room. The primary inspiration was the environment in which the project is sited- immersed in the forest, with framed views of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens. The goals were threefold: to remodel the lower level of the house into an environment that was timeless and consistent with the original character of the mid-century modern residence, to create a seamless connection to the outdoors, and to create a peaceful and therapeutic atmosphere for the clients and their family and friends to enjoy.

The material palette was developed to be timeless and durable, consistent with the existing mid-century modern palette of the upper floor of the house. The primary materials are locally sourced Western Red Cedar, slate tile in natural cleft and glass, including a 32’ wide single 4-panel sliding door system spanning from floor to ceiling that creates a seamless connection from the pool to the outdoors. Inefficient HVAC and dehumidification systems were replaced with the highest efficiency systems available, and the walls and ceilings insulated with a high recycled-content product. Framing from the demolition was re-purposed for use in the new work.

The wine rack is a fully custom system designed and prototyped by the FIELDWORK team using powder-coated 3/4” diameter steel rods welded to continuous steel flat bar and lag-bolted into the structure. The wine cellar system holds about 900 bottles total and was designed to accommodate the variations in wine bottle sizes.