Gillespie Butte, Lot 7
New Construction · Eugene, Oregon · 2026 · Under Construction
Working with Butler Homes, we created a home that takes advantage of a steeply sloped property in the Gillespie Butte Neighborhood. Featuring a primary suite on the main level, and open living space, the windows open to a dramatic Northwestern view of the valley below. A large covered view deck is perfect for entertaining or taking in the summer sunsets.
Spec home — designed like someone already lived there.
The site
Gillespie Butte is one of those Eugene neighborhoods where the land tells you what to do if you listen. The lot slopes gently south and west, with mature Douglas firs on the north side and an uninterrupted view of the Three Sisters to the east. Most builders would have graded it flat and dropped a box on top. We let the house step with the terrain instead — three levels that follow the contour, so every room has a slightly different relationship to the ground.
The challenge
This is a spec home, which means it has to appeal to someone I’ve never met. That’s a strange design problem. You can’t ask about their morning routine or whether they read in bed. So I designed it the way I’d want to live: open where it matters, private where it counts, and oriented so the kitchen gets morning light across the valley while the living room catches the sunset.
Materials
Cedar siding with a natural finish that will silver over time. A basalt stone base that ties the house to the hillside. Standing-seam metal roof in a dark bronze. Deep overhangs — 3 feet on the south side — because in Oregon, the overhang is the first thing that makes a house livable. Without it, you’re staring at rain for seven months.
What I learned
Designing for an unknown client forces clarity. Every decision has to justify itself without the story of who lives there. It’s a good exercise — it stripped away the decorative and left only what’s essential. I think the house is better for it.
- Type
- New Construction
- Location
- Eugene, Oregon
- Year
- 2026
- Status
- Under Construction
- Size
- 3,200 sf
- Bedrooms
- 4
- Lot
- 0.28 acres, south-facing slope
- Materials
- Cedar, basalt stone, standing-seam metal
- Heating
- Ductless heat pump + radiant floors
Team: Drake Architecture + Butler Homes / Future B Construction
- The approach from the street- vertical wood siding, corner windows, board-formed concrete, and deep shadow lines.
- A private entry garden along the path to the front door.
- The northwest corner catches afternoon light across the valley
- Front elevation- the roofline steps with the terrain
- Kitchen opens to the great room with a bright, airy interior.
- Great room looking back toward the kitchen and dining room.
- The hearth features stone carried from outside in
- Kitchen detail concept with NW materials and a splash of color.