by Brian Libby

Although the recent work of Portland, Oregon firm BOORA Architects includes concert halls and a courthouse, one of their smallest projects is among the most impressive: a single family house on the Oregon coast designed and inhabited by firm principal Stanley Boles, FAIA.

Boles usually focuses on larger institutional projects, but while designing his first beach house in the early 1990s, he fell in love with the picturesque coastal community of Neskowin, Oregon. Before long, Boles and his wife were looking for property there to call their own.

Perched on a wooded hillside, the Boles house fits into a long tradition of Oregon architecture. The "northwest style" of mid-century modernism was made famous by the great Portland architect Pietro Belluschi — who designed the first aluminum-clad office building, Portland's Equitable Building — and by residential architect John Yeon.

The northwest style, incorporating Scandinavian and Japanese architectural traditions, was known for its clean lines, minimal adornment, local materials (particularly wood), and abundant natural light.   >>>

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House on the Oregon coast, by Stanley Boles, FAIA of BOORA Architects, reflects the "northwest style." Photo: Laurie Black View to the Pacific Ocean is the top-floor living room's center attraction. Photo: Laurie Black   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.