Country Garden House / Olson Kundig

Architects: Olson Kundig
Area: 5300 ft²
Year: 2013
Photographs: Jeremy Bittermann
Manufacturers: AutoDesk, -, ASN Natural Stone, Baba Antique Wooden Floors, Block Mountain Stone, Dynamic Architectural Windows & Doors, Meta, San Marco, Spearhead, Stone Source, Villeroy & Boch, flyLo
Engineering: ZTEC Engineers Inc, Madden & Baughman
Consultants: Brian Hood Lighting Design
Landscape: Daniel J. Hinkley
Collaborators: Otis Construction
Design Team: Jim Olson, Steve Grim, Martha Rogers, Bryan Berkas, Christine Burkland
City: Portland
Country: United States

Country Garden House by Olson Kundig is designed for a master gardener, integrating seamlessly with its lush landscape. Clad in reclaimed barn wood, the house features a greenhouse-like form with gridded glazing and a pitched roof, flooding the interior with natural light. Gardens designed with Dan Hinkley are visible from every room, with window walls bringing the outdoors in. The green roof further connects the home to its surroundings. The entry sequence guides visitors through leafy trellises to a front door that opens to views of the verdant hillside. A gallery corridor separates private bedrooms from public living spaces, showcasing the owners’ art collection. Interior materials like cedar walls and reclaimed Baba fir floors complement the mix of antique and contemporary furnishings. Exposed timber ceilings and a stone fireplace add rustic refinement, while outdoor living spaces and ponds provide areas for family gatherings.

Harmoniously integrated into its lush landscape, this home, built for a master gardener, maximizes views of the surrounding gardens and rolling hills while creating a warm, comfortable space for a multi-generational family. The reclaimed barn wood-clad house, with its gridded glazing and pitched roof, evokes the form of a farm structure or greenhouse. High windows at each end of the main volume flood the interior with natural light.

Gardens designed in collaboration with renowned plantsman Dan Hinkley are visible from every room, with window walls in the living area seamlessly incorporating the gardens into the home. A green roof further emphasizes the home’s integration with its natural surroundings.

The entry sequence guides visitors under leafy trellises to a front door that opens to a long vista through the living room, revealing views of the verdant hillside beyond. A long gallery corridor separates the private bedroom spaces from the more public living areas, showcasing the owners’ artworks.

Their art collection extends into the main living areas, featuring custom casework designed to display a rich assortment of Asian porcelain and a hand-painted mural by Leo Adams in the dining room. Interior materials reflect the earthy, textural quality of the outdoor gardens, with cedar walls and reclaimed Baba fir floors complementing the owners’ mix of antique and contemporary furnishings, including a coffee table designed by Jim Olson.

Exposed timber ceilings in the main volume add a sense of rustic refinement, complemented by the stone fireplace that separates the den and living room. Easily accessible outdoor living spaces and ponds provide ample areas for family gatherings, seamlessly integrated into the lush surroundings.