One with the High Desert Outdoors

Project: Octothorpe House, Oregon, USA; Architects: Mork-Ulnes Architects, San Francisco, USA

Organised around a grid of light-filled spaces that allow uninterrupted flow of air, sounds and aroma of the surrounding landscape, this environmentally progressive residence is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts

Sitting atop a plot blanketed with sagebrush, bitterbrush and junipers, Octothorpe House was designed by Mork-Ulnes Architects for a couple of technologically progressive clients who decided to move away from San Francisco to embark on a more outdoor-centric life in Oregon’s high desert. The site in Bend, a small city 257 kms southeast of Portland, was earlier covered by a forest that was lost to wildfire two decades ago. Ponderosa pine forests can be seen in the distance as the high desert arid land transitions into lusher vegetation. A popular spot for outdoor enthusiasts, it is located within easy reach of the trails, Deschutes River and Mirror Pond, the nearby Cascade Lakes, ski slopes of the Mount Bachelor ski resort and the Cascade Mountains. The lot has sweeping views of the snow-capped peaks of the Three Sisters mountains and the Deschutes River National Forest.

Mork-Ulnes capitalized on their experience in designing both mountain retreats and more permanent dwellings to develop the design for Octothorpe House. The outcome is a hybrid between a cabin and a house, possibly a new residential typology in an era when the relationship between humans and their environment is being evaluated and redefined. The architects employed CLT (Cross Laminated Timber), an environmentally sustainable and technologically advanced building method, quite new to the US. This house represents yet another opus in MUA’s coherent portfolio of works that testify to their strong bicultural mentalities—a blend of Scandinavian straightforward practicality and Californian openness to innovation, with considerations of sustainability always present in all of the practice’s projects.

The Clients & the Brief

For years, clients Mike and Katherine had considered moving from their San Francisco home—also designed by Mork-Ulnes in 2011—to allow their young child to enjoy a more outdoor-centric life Not an isolated choice for families that are part of a seeming exodus from San Francisco and other larger

The clients had a few requests for their new home, specifically that it be environmentally progressive and offer a high level of flexibility while embracing the desert landscape.

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FLOOR PLAN

cities in the US, a migration which started before the pandemic and is now reaching its peak. The couple, who are originally from the UK and Texas, are technologically progressive. Around 2016, they purchased a plot of land in Bend, Oregon, attracted by the local climate—typical of the high desert with arid summer months as well as snowy winters, cool nights and sunny days—and by the diverse topography of lakes, mountains, trails and desert terrain that allow for a wealth of outdoor pursuits.

The clients had a few requests for their new home, specifically that it be environmentally progressive and offer a high level of flexibility while embracing the desert landscape. They needed two bedrooms for themselves and their child, as well as two guest bedrooms for frequent visitors and family abroad. Additionally, in order to optimize square footage on a tight budget, they required flexible spaces for flexible uses—guestroom/office, exterior courtyard/outdoor playroom, garage/interior playroom.

The Construction Method

Cross Laminated Timber construction is a low-waste and high efficiency construction method, whereby all materials are pre-cut offsite allowing for construction waste to be recycled responsibly at the factory. All of the CLT panels for Octothorpe House were created from sustainably harvested SFI/COC grown wood that was glued and laminated using low-VOC adhesive in a plant in Montana. Due to its CLT construction, this project has a projected 25 ton carbon embodiment within its walls, and a projected 15 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions avoided. The interior walls of the house are almost exclusively cross laminated panels made of pine, spruce and fir, with a natural oiled finish (with the exception of bathroom wet areas that are tiled), resulting in great air and acoustic qualities. Shou Sugi Ban, a burned cedar wood that is water-proof, resistant to decay, insects and fire, was used on the exterior, requiring almost zero maintenance over time.

SECTION

SOLAR EXPOSURE

The building gets full sun exposure throughout the day. The plan facilitates for shifting pockets of sun and shadow. Simple daylight penetration design with integrated solar control providing shading and prevents heat gain.

HIGH EFFICIENCY TECHNIQUES

The design incorporates high efficiency design techniques such as high performance thermally broken window and doors. A ventilated wood rain screen increases durability and prevents water damage. High efficiency heating is achieved through radiant floor heating and light pollution is reduced by the use of Dark sky exterior lighting fixtures. The house is also equipped with high efficiency plumbing fixtures to decrease water usage and there is electric car loading in the garage.

CROSS VENTILATION

The plan is organized around a central courtyard. Several openings toward the outside as well as the atrium creates a natural cross ventilation.

LANDSCAPE & IRRIGATION

The landscape surrounding this building is populated with local plants, which require little water and thrive in the hot summers. A gravel dissipation pit has been installed for a 100 year storm.

CROSS LAMINATED TIMBER

The building is constructed using cross-laminated timber produced in the United States. CLT construction is a lowwaste and high efficiency construction method. Greenhouse gas emissions is therefor avoided and wood panels are made from certified wood that is sustainably harvested.

NATURAL & MAINTENANCE FREE MATERIALS

The exterior is clad in Shou Sugi Ban cedar board, a traditional Japanese technique that increases the woods water & fire resistance. The wooden interior requires no paint and provides a physiological calming effect, plus good indoor air quality. No paint or refinishing required.

SUSTAINABILITY DIAGRAM

Cross Laminated Timber construction is a low-waste and high efficient construction method, whereby all materials are pre-cut offsite allowing for construction waste to be recycled responsibly at the factory.

The Concept

Encompassing 3,340 sq ft (310 sq m), the singlefloor dwelling reveals an ingenious plan layout. Four intersecting shed-roofed bars divide the plan into public and private areas, with a fully enclosed courtyard at the building’s centre and seven semi enclosed ones at its perimetre to bring light and air into every room. On plan, the house is organized around a simple grid of rectangles that dictates the size of the rooms and courtyards. There are no corridors, rather a fluid sequence of rooms following one another. Inhabitants can move around the central courtyard, or cross it when the doors are open. The criss-cross plan also lends itself to cross-ventilated air movement, providing relief from hot summer days. It integrates operable concealed solar shades to protect the south facing rooms from the intense Oregon high-desert sun.

The Interiors

The interiors were inspired by Donald Judd’s Chinati Foundation in Marfa Texas, with dusty hues and sculptural forms shaping the space. The colour palette was meant to draw in the natural desert landscape. Simple wool and felt furnishings in geometric shapes were mixed with natural leather and wood. Mork-Ulnes contacted frequent collaborator and wood furniture artist Yvonne Mouser to create a unique coffee table for the main living space that was inspired by the Three Sisters volcanic peaks visible from the living room sofa. She designed a table that is composed of three chainsawed blocks of Douglas fir finished with a blow torch, penetrating the grey glass tabletop like layers of a geological cross section.

AXONOMETRIC VIEW

The atypical organization of spaces creates a delightful connection with its surroundings. Rock formations, native shrubs and bushes surround the residence, further integrating it with its rugged site. The house tunes into the muted colour palette of its high desert surroundings.

The Layout

The house is organized around a series of light-filled spaces—entry, kitchen and living room, bedrooms and lounge area—that all offer orchestrated glimpses into the central courtyard and ample views of the sky and desert all around, which is covered in snow in colder months. The atypical organization of spaces creates a delightful connection with the surroundings. Rock formations, native shrubs and bushes surround the residence, further integrating it with its rugged site. Inspired by the hues and textures of the surrounding landscape, the house tunes into the muted colour palette of its high desert surroundings. Outside, the Shou Sugi Ban cedar board siding takes on a muted ashen color. The interior space is almost wholly homogenous, with smooth cross laminated panels made of pine, spruce and fir creating an intimate and cosy feel.

The house’s most striking, yet most ephemeral, quality is the immaterial sense of liberty. The central and perimetre courtyards frame views of the sky, while bringing ample natural light inside and providing optimal ventilation. During spring, summer and autumn, the living space expands into the courtyards. When the sliding doors are open, the house is fully porous, filled with an uninterrupted flow of scents and sounds traveling through from the outside. During the winter, passive heating travels through the floorto-ceiling windows and, though sealed off from its surroundings, the residence enhances the feeling of being outdoors while inside.

Photo credit: Jeremy Bittermann / JBSA

FACTFILE

Project team: Casper Mork-Ulnes, Lexie Mork-Ulnes, Greg Ladigin, Phi Van Phan Project consultants: Contractor – Forest City Made, Landscape architect – Strata Landscape Architecture, Structural engineer – Eclipse Engineering, Interior decorator – Lexie Mork-Ulnes Gross floor area: 3,340 sq ft / 310 sq m (conditioned space + non conditioned programmed space) Site area: 37,685 sq ft / 3,500 sq m Materials and systems: Concrete slab on grade, Cross Laminated Timber (CLT)