Collection by Terry Seetomona
Favorites
Oliver and Sara Fritsch’s Mount Hood getaway—not far from Mount Hood Meadows, one of the largest ski resorts in Oregon—is tall and skinny, reminiscent of the canal houses in Amsterdam, where the Fritsch family lived for three years. Also notable is the facade, painted in a custom shade of soft black. Inside, the house is arranged in a reverse layout, with the open living space located at the top.
When Austin-based firm Matt Fajkus Architecture was tasked with renovating this classic midcentury home, they sought to open up the interior—not only by unifying the common areas into an open-plan layout, but also by literally raising the home's roof. This strategy increased the ceiling height on three sides of the home, allowing for the insertion of clerestory windows to create a bright and airy open living space. "The raised ceiling maintains the original pitched roof geometry to stay harmonious with the existing gabled roof in the private zone," explain the architects in a statement.
Although synthetic slate roof tiles have been around since the 1970s, the way architect Stephen Bruns used them to completely clad Woven House is unusual. "I love this material," says Bruns. "The way light reflects off the tiles creates a specular effect, almost like a mosaic." That reflective quality is enhanced by the floor-to-ceiling windows by Loewen.














