Syncline High Residence
Set high on the Syncline Wall along Courtney Road in White Salmon, Washington, this home sits on a 60-acre site with expansive views up the Columbia River to the east. Designed for a young family, the house takes advantage of those big views while creating a more protected and intimate place to live day to day.
The design draws from the simple agricultural buildings found throughout the region. Three wings—north, east, and south—are arranged around a central entry courtyard, creating a pinwheel-shaped plan that opens in different directions to the landscape. The arrangement also gives each part of the house its own identity while keeping everything closely connected.
The central east wing contains the main living spaces and forms the heart of the house. From here, the plan extends south to the kids’ bedrooms and north to the support spaces and private owner’s suite. Turning these wings perpendicular to the main living space creates a series of framed views while helping define and shelter the courtyard at the center of the home.
Stained cedar siding and a continuous standing-seam metal roof tie the three wings together. The material palette is intentionally simple, allowing the changing light, shadows, and surrounding landscape to do much of the work. The result is a house that feels connected to its rural setting without trying to compete with it.
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Currently under construction (started Oct 2025).