White Salmon Bluff #2
Perched along the bluff edge in White Salmon, this residence replaces a modest existing structure with a home more deeply attuned to the drama and exposure of its remarkable setting. Stretching deliberately across the site, the house embraces expansive southern views toward the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood, allowing the landscape to become an ever-present companion to daily life.
The home is organized to place all principal living spaces along the southern frontage, maximizing daylight, passive solar gain, and a direct connection to the shifting character of the Gorge beyond. Large openings frame the horizon while maintaining a sense of shelter from the intense environmental conditions unique to the bluff edge.
Designed in response to the owners’ desire for durability and low maintenance, the residence balances openness with resilience. A cast-in-place concrete lower level anchors the building into the gently sloping terrain, providing both physical grounding and protection from the Gorge’s persistent winds and increasing wildfire concerns. Above, a continuous standing-seam metal skin wraps roof and walls alike—a protective “security blanket” that unifies the architecture into a singular, elemental form.
Outdoor living unfolds across multiple levels and perspectives. The lower terrace extends directly from the primary living spaces, creating a grounded connection to the site, while the upper deck projects outward toward the view, coming to a point like the bow of a ship—a quiet acknowledgment of the river traffic moving steadily along the Columbia below.
The material palette remains intentionally restrained, allowing texture, light, and landscape to carry the experience of the home. Concrete, metal, glass, and carefully composed interior finishes work together to create an environment that feels at once calm, enduring, and deeply rooted in place.
Completed Summer 2024.