| 2024.07 |


Embracing Materials and Nature in Design

During one of our trips from Santa Barbara to Portland, Oregon, we witnessed the breathtaking transformation of Oregon’s forests from verdant green to vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows as the trees shed their leaves for winter. These forests of Douglas Fir, Bigleaf Maple, and Oregon White Oak are a constant presence in our lives at the Anacapa Portland Office not only as a playground for outdoor activities, but also as the raw materials for the timber industry that produces much of the country's softwood lumber and specialty wood products we specify for our projects.

One such project was our Eucalyptus Hill Residence in Montecito, clad in cedar siding supplied by Disdero Lumber from Clackamas, Oregon. As we flew over the forests where the cedar siding was harvested, we reflected on Oregon's significant contribution to construction materials: Douglas Fir framing, White Oak veneers, Pine cladding. Being intimately connected with those raw materials gives us in the Oregon office a unique connection to our projects, even as we sit thousands of miles away

Engineered wood products are key to reducing embodied energy and sequestering CO2 in our buildings. Oregon is at the forefront of Mass Timber construction, with Timberlab in North Portland collaborating with the Tallwood Design Institute. This institute, a partnership between Oregon State University’s College of Forestry and the University of Oregon’s Department of Architecture, engages in crucial research and development.

Our Oregon Studio manager, an alumnus of the University of Oregon, participated in an early studio run by the Institute. This studio explored heavy timber construction's increased building code requirements and its potential to revive rural economies through innovative building methodologies. Current initiatives within the state are bolstering the ties between designers and the artisans crafting these materials, emphasizing the importance of learning from the trades to foster successful project delivery.

As a Pacific Northwest outpost, Anacapa’s Portland Office benefits from living amidst the forests that supply our building materials and liberal access to educational opportunities from universities and arboretums. As mass timber construction becomes more prevalent, Anacapa is poised to lead in this field. Meanwhile, our Portland team will continue to find joy and inspiration in the forests that underpin our construction industry.