Central Boulevard House No.1

A Sustainability minded home designed for indoor and outdoor living

Location  |  Eugene, Oregon
Project Type  |  Single-Family Residential
Size  |  2100 SF
Completion  |  2009

Architecture | Jan Fillinger, design architect
Interior Design | Studio.e Architecture
Lighting Design | Studio.e Architecture
Landscape Architecture | Lovinger Robertson Landscape Architects
Structural  Engineering |   Hal Pfeifer, PE
Contractor  |  Ecobuilding Collaborative of Oregon

Awards & Publications  |  Eugene Register Guard: “Soothing Garden in a Rock-Hard Shell”

Photography | Eric Bishoff

This residence for an active couple with a large extended family is designed to do it all: be a comfortable place to welcome guests, embrace the outdoors, and tread lightly on the land.

Located on a site with beautiful views of the surrounding landscape, but seriously compromised by a steep slope, the project required drastic measures in order to create generous outdoor living and gardening areas.

Realizing that standard retaining walls would be cost-prohibitive, the design team chose to secure the hillside above the house with stacked rock-filled gabion baskets. Over subsequent years, the primitive rocky structure has been covered vines and cascading vegetation, creating a large green wall.

Building orientation, natural daylight, sustainable materials, health and human delight, and energy efficiency were each key benchmarks for this design.

Staggered stud walls, advanced framing techniques, triple-glazed windows, hydronic floor heating system, hot water solar panels, and a continuous fresh air ventilation system ensure exceptional energy-efficiency for the home.

Wide eaves, thick foam roof insulation, cantilevered window sunshades, and a thickened concrete slab keep the house comfortable without the need for additional cooling.

Water-based VOC-free paints and varnishes, and plant-based oil wood sealers ensure a safe and clean environment for the home’s inhabitants.