One of the priciest homes for sale in Portland — at $8 million — is a vintage Northwest modern dwelling designed by the late architect Pietro Belluschi, who was praised for his elegantly spare aesthetic.
Although Belluschi’s light-filled spaces are coveted by modernists today, the property’s value was also elevated by its location, in the desirable Forest Park neighborhood, and its size: the house is part of the 79-acre Westwind farm.
“The Westwind residence is a one-of-a-kind opportunity: an architectural sculpture set … amidst a breathtaking natural setting,” stated Terry Sprague of Luxe Christie’s International Real Estate, who represents the sellers.
Belluschi was 78 years old when he was hired in 1978 by the Papworth family to plan a custom house on their Westwind sheep farm at 13000 N.W. Old Germantown Road.
For decades before this commission, Belluschi was recognized as one of the nation’s best architects. He shaped the Portland skyline with a revolutionary glass tower, influenced the way churches and and synagogues look and feel, and introduced the Northwest modern style to his clients starting in the 1930s.
For an architect who believed in finding inspiration from nature, this home showcases Belluschi’s focus on “function, appropriateness, harmony, materials, setting, orientation” to create a dwelling that is “modern, emotional, beautiful.”
Floor-to-ceiling, south-facing windows rise to vaulted ceilings clad in hemlock wood planks and Mount Adams stone surrounds the living room’s towering fireplace wall.
The main house, which was completed in 1980, as well as the detached studio apartment and a two-story, loft-style guest house provide 7,286 square feet of living space.
The forested, hillside site, off Northwest Skyline Boulevard and Germantown Road, grants panoramic views beyond the terraced, landscaped grounds and and groves of Douglas fir and fruit trees.
“It is a picturesque perch from which you can see the weather rolling in from 50 miles away” and toward Washington County farmland and the Coast Range, said Sprague, in marketing materials.
The sculpture, “Window to the Gone World,” created by Lee Kelly, a longtime friend of Belluschi’s, sits near the swimming pool terrace and cedar pool house. Nearby is a greenhouse and a natural amphitheater to host concerts.
The home’s primary suite, on the ground floor, opens to a deck with a hot tub and outdoor shower. There are two more bedrooms on the main level and a suite on the second floor.
The lowest level has an additional bedroom, bathroom and sauna as well as a recording studio.
“When I visit the property, I have a sense the new owners will have a creative influence, a writer, musician, maybe a painter,” said Sprague.
— Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072
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