Crafted with the nearby Willamette River in mind—along with some wonderfully hippy-dippy beliefs about capturing a home's "spirit"—this floating Fennell Residence in Portland, Ore. offers quite the unusual summer home. Portland-based architect Robert Harvey Oshatz built the 2,300-square-foot structure in 2006, in close collaboration with clients who were adamantly "not interested in minimalist white box-style architecture," but instead felt drawn towards "soft, flowing lines," and warm, wood textures. The end result? A rounded, curvy home clad in hand-cut red cedar shingles and built almost entirely from locally sourced wood.
According to Oshatz, the eye-catching, wavy shape is meant to emulate the movement of water in a way that "evokes the poetry of the ripples and contours of a river." Inside, the ceilings swoop down in the same shape as the copper roof, while floor-to-ceiling windows on one end of the home offers access to the floating porch. A small upstairs space makes room for a master bedroom suite with a spa tub, and—of course—some stunning river views. "Every house has its own spirit," explains the architect, "which comes from the site and the personalities of the clients." Houzz has a full gallery of the spirited home, this way.
· Curves Ahoy! See a Unique Floating Home [Houzz]
· Fennel Residence [Robert Harvey Oshatz]
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