Central Washington River House by McClellan Architects

The River House is located on the Columbia River in eastern Washington. The house was designed for a young family as a weekend retreat and has a separate guest house over the garage. The home takes full advantage of the views to the river and the sage brush covered mountains. McClellan Architects also designed a lower outdoor dining room just off of the pool so that the family can enjoy the long summers.

This weekend cottage sits at the base of the Cascade foothills, opening to the banks of the Columbia River. It is home to a family of four. A guest bunkhouse and outdoor rooms define the grounds, creating a seamless relationship between inside and out.

The design program for this house emphasized its relationship to the outside and the river. The house establishes a demarcation between the desert and the river oasis. As one descends through the site the building forms open, embracing the site.

Residential Lakefront House Design Ideas by McClellan Architects

Designed by McClellan Architects, this residential lakefront home was built on a challengingly steep site, this home embraces its waterfront location. The varied outdoor spaces offer both privacy and invitation, creating a rich dialog between shelter and grounds. From front entry to back terrace there is a steady progression from masonry walls to a more open and lighter structure of steel and wood.

The steep terrain of the site presented a challenge to siting the house at a plateau along the water’s edge. The garage and second floor ADU were placed along the toe of the 40 foot high bluff to retain the bluff, and to increase the level area at the base.

To maximize the home’s views to the water, the rooms are strung along a line following the coastline, grouped into two masses: the two story residential quarters and a glassy public pavilion which opens to the outdoor deck and pool. The two forms are bridged by the entry with framed views to the water.

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