Eagle Rock Retreat

Project Details

Project Description

The property is located along the north bank of the McKenzie River and features old-growth trees and a breathtaking view of Eagle Rock, a basalt column rock formation at the river’s edge. Located in a Douglas Fir forest, the building site was carefully chosen to minimize the removal of existing trees.

The old house on the property was in poor condition and needed to be removed prior to construction. We were able to re-use the roof beams from that structure in the new home.

The final design features three “pods.” The individual living spaces were oriented toward the south in order to capture the view of the river and Eagle Rock and to maximize daylight exposure in the heavily-wooded site. With a ceiling height that exceeds 21 feet, the middle pod offers a spectacular view of Eagle Rock from either floor. “The height of the room makes it possible to experience Eagle Rock from its peak down to the river”, says lead architect, Richard Shugar. From the loft space, a bridge crosses above the dining room and living room area to an upper-level outdoor porch where you can actually see fish swimming in the water.

The other pods provide more secluded spaces, with each structure containing two side-by-side bedrooms and a full bath. Shugar divided each pod into “dry” and “wet” zones.

Window seats overlooking the river, furniture grouped in front of the fireplace, an over-sized table to gather around, a bar counter to lean against and visit with the cook; these spaces are made for the family to be together. The center pod contains all the cooking, full bath, and an upstairs sleeping loft for the grandchildren.

“When family members get together on a retreat, they’re retreating from their daily lives, of course. But even when they’re together, there’s a point where they need to have their own retreat, their own individual place. We felt that this was an opportunity to build smaller, more discrete elements that feel cabin-like rather than end up with a large building in the landscape, which could not have happened if we’d lumped all the square footage together.”

Photographs by David Loveall & 2fORM Architecture