The Octothorpe House is perched atop a parcel covered with sagebrush, bitterbrush, and junipers, marking the site of a forest lost to wildfire two decades ago. Beyond the high desert’s arid expanse, one can observe Ponderosa pine forests in the distance, signaling a transition to more abundant vegetation. Situated in Bend, a small city 257 kilometers southeast of Portland, Oregon, Octothorpe House benefits from its proximity to popular outdoor attractions. The locale is easily accessible to trails, the Deschutes River, Mirror Pond, nearby Cascade Lakes, and the ski slopes of Mount Bachelor resort in the Cascade Mountains. The property boasts expansive views of the snow-capped peaks of the Three Sisters mountains and the Deschutes River National Forest. ©Jeremy Bittermann
For quite some time, Mike and Katherine, previous clients of Mork-Ulnes and residents of a San Francisco home designed by the firm in 2011, contemplated a move to provide their young child with a more outdoor-centric lifestyle. Their decision to relocate aligns with a broader trend seen in families like theirs, departing San Francisco and other major U.S. cities?an ongoing migration that predates the pandemic and is now reaching its peak.
©Jeremy Bittermann
Originally from the UK and Texas, the couple, who embrace technological progress, acquired a plot of land in Bend, Oregon, around 2016. They were drawn to the local climate?typical of the high desert with arid summers and snowy winters, cool nigh...