The Octothorpe House

This unique one-story single-family home overlooking the Cascade Mountain Range seamlessly complements the undisturbed natural environment with the natural wood interior. The residence has approximately 2,700 square feet of conditioned area with a total square footage of approximately 3,415, including a two-car garage. It has been dubbed “The Octothorpe House” due to the eight wings branching out from its central courtyard. The home has been featured in Bend Magazine and The Wall Street Journal for its thoughtful design and use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. In fact, at the time of its design in 2017, this was one of the first CLT residences in Oregon.

All roof and wall elements were constructed with CLT and any additional structure was engineered to be hidden from view. The CLT panels made up the gravity- and lateral-resisting systems. Since all interior ceilings and walls were fully exposed, careful considerations were made for the thermal and mechanical systems. All insulation was provided on the exterior face of the panels. Mechanical heating and cooling systems were strategically placed in attic areas with inconspicuous venting through the CLT wall panels. The slab-on-grade floor system was designed with a geothermal warming system. Truss elements utilizing CLT roof panels and steel tension rods were provided at the vaulted ceiling of the garage and all roofs were made up of isolated steep mono-sloped planes.

As the Engineer-of-Record and specialty engineer for the CLT, Eclipse Engineering’s innovation, unique skill set and creative mindset brought this one-of-a-kind architectural design to life.

Finished project photos: Jeremy Bitterman / JBSA