The Zen Garden House

An AIA Oregon People’s Choice Award-winning project, the Zen Garden House is a right-sized 750 SF home tucked into a cozy lot adjacent to a beautiful park along the Willamette River. Designed to sit in quiet harmony with the existing landscape and garden, the home uses natural light, stack ventilation, careful site orientation, season-sensitive shading, and generous verandas to blur the line between outdoor beauty and interior comfort. Humble in size but rich in experience, the house supports a vibrant lifestyle of working, entertaining, leisure, and rest, while also incorporating aging-in-place amenities tailored to the client’s needs. It is a peaceful, practical, and deeply personal little home — thoughtfully designed for comfort, connection, and daily life.