Located just Southwest of Portland, Oregon in the Willamette Valley along the foothills of the Chehalem Mountains is a ninety-acre farm estate surrounded by rolling hills of hazelnut and apple orchards, grape vineyards and wineries. This region of the Pacific Northwest has long attracted viticulturists and wine enthusiasts as the soil and climate provide the ideal environment for multiple grape varieties, especially the Pinot Noir grapes.

Barnhouse was a response to the clients desire for a retirement farmhouse estate that would take advantage of the site’s natural assets, solar orientation, and mountain top views of The Cascades and Coast Range Mountains that frame the valley and surround the site. Using these key elements as a guide, the house orients its main structure East to West, aligning and framing views of Mt. Hood, while also orienting views of Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Jefferson.

The design was inspired by a first generation English cattle barn that was constructed on the owners property in the early 1800s by the original settlers of the property. This barn and it’s construction became the catalyst of inspiration for the project consisting of a main timberframe structure and surrounded by minimal and robust ancillary buildings.