Soap Creek Modern
ADU · Corvallis, Oregon · 2022 · Complete
A rural property near Soap Creek Road needed a guest house that could hold its own next to the main residence. Clean lines, natural materials, a modern sensibility that still belongs in the Willamette Valley.
The property
Soap Creek Road runs north out of Corvallis into rolling farmland and oak savanna. The property includes a pastoral 5 acres with a creek at the edge. A contemporary main house, guest cottage and new barn complete the site. The owners wanted a guest house for visiting family- something modern that matched the main residence’s clean aesthetic but felt like its own place, not an afterthought.
Modern in the valley
Modern architecture in rural Oregon is a conversation about belonging. You can’t drop a glass box in a meadow and pretend it’s contextual. What you can do is use clean lines while grounding the building with natural materials: expressive wood siding (local, durable, natural), a low roof profile that doesn’t compete with the tree line or mimics the rolling hill, and color selections that allow the site plantings to shine.
Inside out
Designed around one idea, the “shift” in the home creates opportunity. An otherwise simple box is cut along its width, then shifted and overlapped to create larger areas in the plan, patios and window opportunities. An overhanging gutter turns into a water feature at the rain garden to express the natural hydrology of the site.
Partnership
This project was designed in partnership with dC Design and Consulting. The collaboration brought together two perspectives that make the work shine. Jay B construction has handled the construction of the project from guest house to permitting and the current home which is under construction.
A Process Built Around Life
The guest cottage was built first so the couple could enjoy the site while the main house is under construction. A small footprint means big ideas take center stage. Oversized view windows and clean finishes allow the home to feel large and comfortable.
- Type
- ADU
- Location
- Corvallis, Oregon
- Year
- 2022
- Status
- Complete
- Size
- 720 sf
- Bedrooms
- 1 + sleeping loft
- Materials
- Board-formed concrete, vertical cedar, steel
- Glazing
- 16-foot sliding glass wall
- Site
- 5-acre rural property, oak savanna
- Floors
- Polished concrete, continuous interior to exterior
Team: Drake Architecture · In partnership with dC Design and Consulting
- Kitchen; modern and compact but everything you need
- Material detail: a blend of striking black panel with bright stained vertical T/G siding.
- A blend of natural materials at the patio
- A covered space to enjoy the farm and natural setting beyond.
- Modern details, where materials intersect.
- The view from inside looking out… the whole point!
- A small cabin build for the family to grow.