Sustainable Redwood Stars in an Oregon Architectural Showcase
Tumwater at Pete’s Mountain, an exclusive community in West Linn, Oregon, offers high-end home lots that neighbor acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapevines. The picturesque property boasts gentle hills and mountain vistas—a fitting location for the 2016 NW Natural Street of Dreams. Every year since 1975, the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland has hosted this architectural showcase that brings together homeowners, builders, architects, and other design professionals.
Nestled in the idyllic vineyard setting, this year’s five custom show homes celebrated the indoor/outdoor lifestyle along with the latest in residential construction. Humboldt Redwood played an integral role in supplying timber for a new pergola, arbors, and planter boxes—highlighting the aesthetic, functional, and sustainable benefits of redwood in these exemplary homes.
The Barrel House tasting room serves as a community center for Tumwater. The new pergola creates an outdoor room that can play host to wine tastings and private events.
Barrel House, the rustic, open-beam structure at the onsite vineyard Tumwater Reserve, holds a wine tasting room and entertainment space. Rich in color, texture, and grain pattern while boasting durability, the new Humboldt Redwood pergola adds to the beauty and functionality of the outdoor space.
"Tumwater Reserve is extremely attractive with vineyard views and mountains in the far distance," says Jessica Hewitt, director of marketing at Humboldt Redwood. "The pergola allows visitors to the Barrel House to take advantage of the natural outdoor beauty."
Naturally durable, redwood can be left to naturally weather. In rainy climates, the material will darken before turning a soft, driftwood gray.
Landscaped ponds create a charming outdoor setting.
Humboldt Redwood also graced the largest show home on the property, the Mon Coeur, with four arbors and planter boxes. Redwood arbors provide a striking sense of arrival, while the material’s natural tannins make the structures resistant to rot, decay, and insects, making redwood planters ideal for home gardeners growing herbs, vegetables, and fruits.
Mon Coeur—or "My Heart"—is a Hamptons-style dwelling with an emphasis on the outdoors. Humboldt Redwood arbors and planter gardens create a fruitful garden.
The projects reflect a growing trend of outdoor living across the country. More and more homeowners are opting to build arbors, gazebos, pergolas, or trellises to forge a stronger connection to the natural environment. "Adding an upgraded deck and a shade structure provides increased enjoyment and added value in a home," says Hewitt. Redwood, with its warm glow and material strength, is both a durable and attractive choice for exterior structures, making it a favorite building material.
Because redwood resists rot, decay, and insects, gardeners can worry less about watering and plant-eating bugs.
Redwood arbors feature two posts connected by a cross piece. Besides adding visual interest to an exterior space, they can also be built with a gate, bench, or planter box for added functionality.
Humboldt Redwood also represents an eco-friendly choice as a renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable resource. The company sources from 440,000 acres of sustainable redwood and Douglas fir forest in Northern California, and all Humboldt Redwood timbers are Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified (FSC-C005200). Protecting old growth trees and committed to forest restoration, Humboldt Redwood prides itself on the environmentally sustainable policies it employs to deliver stunning, long-lasting products.
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