New Builds

The house is clad in Siberian larch and has a standing-seam Galvalume roof. Landscape architect Karin Ursula used native plantings to help the land recover from construction. The gravel put down in lieu of new soil will gradually fill in with plants as leaves decompose and produce a layer of soil.

“We pulled apart one volume and staggered it along the buildable area of the property,” says architect Matthew Ahlberg of Portland firm Barrett Made. The home is clad in unfinished cedar, meant to weather over time.

The green roof, wood cladding, and low profile help to integrate the home with its lush, natural surroundings.

A striking compound in the 9,500-acre Galisteo Basin Preserve acts as a refuge for a retiree with her family and friends. It even has a stable for her treasured horses, too.

The concrete foundation was poured on top of a rock outcropping, so that the house would feel like part of the natural features of the site.

Set behind the couple’s Silver Lake home, the two-story structure has a crisp white board–and–batten exterior.