This renovation is also an energy retrofit of the compact existing house, constructed in 1961 by a local developer/builder as a simple and 'modern' affordable building. The site is located on a steep slope with mature native trees in a neighborhood southwest of downtown Portland. A new extension is built on a previously disturbed area of the site.

 

The renovations remedy technical issues common to 50-year-old construction while extending connections and views to the outdoors. The foundation work includes new concrete grade-beams atop steel piles anchored into the bedrock below. Construction includes seismic framing upgrades and increased insulation and infiltration performance of walls, roof, floor, windows, and doors. Efficient, all-electric mechanical systems are retrofitted, and low-water-use fixtures and appliances installed.