Harris House

When the daughter of former professor and department head at the University of Oregon’s School of Architecture stopped by our Architecture 5¢ booth for some advice, we were elated to meet her and hear her story. She had recently recaptured a bit of her childhood by purchasing her family home, a 2100 SF house that her father had designed back in 1969, and was now in the throes of some necessary repair work. Repairing the foundation, along with jacking up the house and replacing beams, was already underway, but what to do with the redwood siding that unfortunately had been previously power washed and was now warped and covered with lichen? Corten steel, also called weathering steel, fit the bill and added to the original design and rust-red color. Around every corner was a new challenge – concealing all the screws, replacing the windows and skylights, fabricating unique trim pieces, rebuilding the entry bridge, addressing dry rot – but eventually everything was buttoned-up to give the iconic home a new lease on life. And it all started with a Nickel!