The first thing I recall the client saying about design was, “I want a round house.” I thought to myself, “You don’t hear that everyday.” The client also wanted to go as green as possible, and have the house blend in with the country setting.

Located in the Mohawk Valley, it consists of a 2,466 sq. ft. main house, and an 850 sq. ft. detached studio. We are currently going through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes certification process. Sustainable features include FSC-certified lumber, fly-ash concrete, native & drought tolerant landscaping (no turf), ground-source heat pump, hydronic radiant heat, natural ‘stack’ ventilation, solar domestic hot water, rain-water catchment, natural day-lighting, Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), energy recovery ventilator (ERV), energy-efficient appliances / fixtures, natural finishes, and increased insulation (low-infiltration ‘Spider’ insulation was sprayed into all wall cavities).

The main room of the house is circular in plan with a 24’ radius that includes the Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, Entry, Bathroom, and Hallway. Above it all is a conical roof with 3’ overhangs, that slopes up at a 4/12 pitch to a 14’ diameter clerestory, which in turn has its own conical roof. Two rectilinear wings compliment the main room, one housing the Master Suite, the other a Bedroom with Bath, Mudroom, Pantry, and Garage.

The studio is perfectly circular in plan with a 12’ radius, also with a conical roof and clerestory above. It’s two-story with an Office above and Guest Bedroom with Bath below that daylight to the south. The studio is half-submerged in the hill it sits on, to offer a lower-profile within its surrounding rural context.

AIA Southwestern Oregon People’s Choice Award Presentation
.