Address: Hazel Street, Hood River, Oregon

Type: Residential

Architect: Mark VanderZanden

Completion: 1996

Property:

• 30-degree slope and oak forest abutting the city of Hood River

Objective:
To develop the site without removing the oak forest that serves as the backdrop to the city

Project:
To preserve the trees, we worked with the planning commission to obtain a waiver from set-back requirements so that we could build on the property line. We then built four 3,000-square-foot single-family homes using advanced cable-braced post foundation technology to minimize excavation and ground disturbance. Each house stands at tree-top level in the forest and is linked to the main road by a bridge.

Funding:
Family trust, Columbia Savings Bank

Cost:
$350,000 per unit

Return on investment:
13 percent