Canopy Living: The Ultimate Tree House

Canopy Living: The Ultimate Tree House

There’s the tree house your Dad built for you in the backyard, and then there’s the tree house Robert Harvey Oshatz built in the forests of Portland, Oregon. Designed in 1997 and completed in 2004, the Wilkinson Residence is in perfect harmony with its surroundings. Built on a steep sloping lot, the living space resides amongst the forest canopy, making your morning coffee most enjoyable. With more curves than Lombard Street, the Wilkinson Residence is a property you have to see to believe.

A lover of music, the client wanted a house that not only became part of the natural landscape but also addressed the flow of music. This house evades the mechanics of the camera; it is difficult to capture the way the interior space flows seamlessly through to the exterior. One must actually stroll through the house to grasp its complexities and its connection to the exterior. One example is a natural wood ceiling, floating on curved laminated wood beams, passing through a generous glass wall which wraps around the main living room.

Project Details

- Project Name: Wilkinson Residence

- Site Location: Portland, Oregon, USA

- Architect: Robert Harvey Oshatz

- Project Type: Residential

- Client: Roy Wilkinson

- Site Area: 2200 square meters (23,680 sq. ft)

- Built-up Area: 480 square meters (5,162 sq. ft)

- Designed in 1997, construction completed in 2004