Royal House

Portland is one of America’s most verdant cities and boasts some amazing forest and woodland. Considering the difficulties often associated with building in woodland, you perhaps wouldn’t expect to see a property as ambitious and eye-catching as Royal House in Portland’s Forest Park which is surprisingly close to downtown but feels like you’re in the middle of the wilderness.

This stunning piece of contemporary architecture was completed by design studio, William Kaven Architecture and is an astounding feat of modern minimalism surrounded by woodland. It has extensive balconies which make the most of the views of this Oregon forest and boasts two stacked rectangular volumes which have been clad with black siding by Aspyre and large windows which comprise the geometric 4,352-square-foot of living space.

Impressive Attention to Detail

Royal House is positioned on one of nine plots which are owned by the design studio and its partners that extend into Forest Park, an urban forest with hiking trails, near downtown Portland. The overall thesis of this eye-catching piece of architecture was to live among the trees and has large expanses of glazing and 735 square feet of exterior deck which surround the house to look out onto the glorious deciduous site and its natural flora, which includes Douglas fir trees and vine maple.

On the Royal House’s all black front, there is an attached garage unit which is fronted with glazed doors and a grouping of clerestory windows which run along the top of the one-and-half-storey foyer. On the inside, the entry hall opens up to the main living space and has eye-catching white oak floors with walnut border inlays. Vast windows and sliding glass doors in the room bathe the interiors in natural light and delivers amazing views of the natural landscape.

The living area of Royal House in Portland has a grey dual-fuel fireplace which has been perfectly paired with a number of wood furnishings that were custom-built by local studio The Good Mod. The wood pieces include a long dining table, kitchen stool and chairs and each of the four bedrooms is oriented towards the east where the sun rises and has an attached balcony for making the most of the wilderness setting.

Best of Both Worlds

The beauty of Royal House from William Kaven Architecture comes from the fact it resides in the heart of nature but also is a stone’s throw from downtown Portland which gives the residents the best of both worlds in our opinion here at Coolector HQ. Stunning, contemporary aesthetics characterise the inside and outside of this glorious piece of design and the architects have done a great job of making the most of its privileged position in nature.

We love the whole look and feel of Royal House here at The Coolector and it’s located in one of our favourite parts of the United States so it’s doubly as appealing. If you’ve got a love for modern architecture set in a wilderness locale, this one will be right up your street as well.

Leo Davie
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