The South Hills House

Eugene, Oregon

Sited on a west-facing slope in the South Hills of Eugene within a mature oak savanna, this home has expansive views across the Willamette Valley. Music, entertaining, and being able to support visiting family and friends guided the program.

While the topography is inherently complex because of the steepness of the site, the architecture presents itself as a clear and simple set of volumes that nestle into the landscape. Saving and highlighting the oaks on the site drove the orientation of the house, which has three bedrooms on two levels and includes a 2-car garage. The main level is sited below street level with a series of retaining walls and fences that enhance the sense of privacy from the street to the east. As the site slopes down 175 feet to the west, the main level soars 15 feet above grade with panoramic views. The lower story makes use of a pause in the natural grade of the slope.

The house organizes social and private space into two bars: one contains the bedrooms, bathrooms, and utilities; the other creates an open, loft-like space and contains the open kitchen, dining room, and living room. Bedrooms and quiet spaces are oriented along the north side of the house and expressed with a metal clad “bar” that descends down the hill, while living spaces are oriented on the south side and expressed with a single sloped roof plane. Within the high-volume, sloped ceiling, an open kitchen forms the heart of the living areas. Windows reach 11 feet in height and open glazed corners are oriented to the majestic oaks and dramatic valley sunsets. The roof extends roughly 15 feet toward the natural oak savannah to create a covered terrace that overlooks the property. 

Materials were chosen to reinforce a bold and elegant interpretation of the Northwest Regional style. Materials include exposed concrete, unpainted fiber cement rainscreen panels, powder coated metal panels, and exposed steel beams supporting a 3-ply tongue and groove roof structure with exposed Port Orford cedar wood. The cabinetry and the flooring are comprised of rift and quartered white oak. The fireplace at the end of the living room is finished with hand troweled waxed plaster.  

Surrounded by tree-lined vistas and constantly changing natural light, the house has a strong indoor-outdoor connection. Skylights along the lower edge of the living areas cast sunlight along the walls during the day. As the sun sets, the interior becomes a stage for the family and social life within.