Ridge House is a single-family detached home situated along the crest of a topographic ridge in Portland’s Alameda neighborhood. With its compact footprint and crystalline form, the architecture is shaped as a direct response to the dramatic topography of the site, as well as opportunities for views connecting the foreground, midground, and background elements that define the site. The house is perched at the crest of a hill, with the street sloping away laterally to the west; the site also falls away substantially from the street to the rear property line – providing exceptional picturesque vistas.

The architectural approach was to create a concrete plinth upon which a crystalline wood-clad box is perched. The concrete plinth retains the site and organize the landscape, while also striking a horizontal datum that marks the sloping topography of the site. The floor plan is a skewed rectangle – responding to the primary vista to the southwest, while also creating a setback for the entry from the street. The main floor of the house is a ‘great room’ concept with a double-height skylit living room that features a delicate folded plate steel stair.The sloping site affords a lower level that aligns with the natural grade at the rear of the house, creating a bright and spacious family room, yoga/meditation space, and temporary guest room.