30 | Oregon Home ARCHITECT RISA BOYERhad been looking with her family for a property near Mt. Hood for seven years, but their wish list was different than most. They wanted the peace and serenity of being surrounded by woods, but they also longed for a valley setting, with its feeling of abundance. They found it in an 11-acre property formerly known as Ziba Dimmick State Park, an abandoned swath of land abutting the East Fork River near Parkdale. “It was magical wandering through the woods and discovering these different environments on the 11 acres,” says Boyer, of Portland-based Risa Boyer Architecture. “Going in on the property and then the project with another family and keeping the costs down allowed us to make this dream happen.” Ziba Dimmick State Park flooded in late 1980 and was sold by Hood River County in 1981 before going up for sale again in 2017. During the families’ first visit, they could still access the old asphalt parking area, overgrown and covered with leaves and surrounded by cottonwoods and pine trees. They wandered the site on overgrown trails and climbed a 15-foot embankment to find the 4-acre meadow where they ended up camping for a few years in Airstreams and, eventually, building the house. “I loved the smell of the woods, the natural light, and the view of an The dining room chairs, from Design Within Reach (HAY J 41 Side Chair), add a touch of the traditional to the modern space, with rods that echo the railings in the home. A custom, 26-foot bridge spans a double-height space and connects a family room with the bunk room.
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