I recently went to the open house for a single-family residence named the Harpoon House, designed by Matt Kirkpatrick. I’d been riding my bike by the site for weeks and watching their progress and the emergence of a three story wood rainscreen-clad building. There was a well-designed sign in front that gave some basic information about the project and the website address where I have since learned a lot more about the house; including the process they have gone through with the bank,  project costs (less than $200k), and all the ups and downs of the construction.

Located on an urban infill lot in the inner Southeast Portland neighborhood of Buckman, the Harpoon House is 16 by 28 by 28 feet tall (1152 square feet) and built of structurally insulated panels, with the exception of the unconditioned basement, which is concrete and stick framing. The siding is a ventilated rainscreen made from unfinished cedar 1×4′s, held off the sheathing with 4×4 posts. Waste pipes and other utilities are hidden behind the screen to reduce thermal bridging that would occur by carving up the panel insulation. The house has beautiful triple pane wood windows, the single most expensive part of the project, and in my opinion, worth every penny. The construction is 100% green roof coverage, thanks in part to a grant received through the city of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) to cover the cost difference between doing standard roof construction and green roofs (estimated at an additional $5/ sq. ft.).

The interiors are tastefully restrained, I’m sure in large part a need for economy, but they put their money where it matters; in the beautiful wood floors, a combination toilet/ sink fixture for graywater reuse and some nice built-in cabinetry. Most impressive, however was that the landscape was not an afterthought or cut from the budget towards the end, as it so often is. They had already put in a gabion rock retaining wall and several fruit trees and planted beds well before the construction was completed! The green roof is entirely planted out and the street trees stand ready to go in the ground. Oh, and they even have a very nice root cellar in the basement to put all their fruits and veggies in at the end of the season!

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