2021 Portland Modern Home Tour is virtual: See sustainable, energy- and space-saving ideas

Not all home tours have returned to in-person viewing, but seeing smartly designed, energy-efficient houses virtually still allows you to take note of everything that captures your attention. The five houses showcased in 3D filming for the Portland Modern Home Tour on Saturday, July 24, are exemplars of sustainable building and decor trends.

Two dwellings were created to exacting “passive house” standards, which means they can use 80 to 90 percent less energy for heating and cooling, and an 800-square-foot home and 600-square foot studio show off space-saving techniques.

A Lake Oswego custom house has soundproof hobby rooms, a secret door and a slide into the gym and 900-square-foot indoor futsal court.

Ticket holders ($40 at mads.media) will follow as Portland-area architects, designers and homeowners guide them through the livestream event and answer questions on the spot.

“The livestream and audience interaction are one day, but all content will be available in the weeks after the tour to explore at your leisure,” says Ken Shallcross of the Modern Architecture + Design Society (MA+DS), which produces tours in U.S. cities and Canada.

A season pass ($149) grants you access to MA+DS’ 2021 live and recorded tours.

Here are highlights of the five modern homes selected to be on the 2021 Portland Modern Home Tour:

Energy-saving on a budget: The Treehouse by eMZed Architecture was built on a tight budget in Mount Tabor with 3,200 square feet of living space plus a 600-square-foot studio.

The energy-efficient, low-maintenance house was designed to have no weak points in the building envelope and maintain comfortable temperatures year round at lower energy costs.

In passive houses such as this one, continuous insulation reduces heat losses and gains, airtightness prevents drafts and moisture problems, and continuous ventilation improves air quality.

Large overhangs and a sliding sun screen minimize heating and cooling needs. A 9.6 kW array of solar roof panels provide about the same yearly amount of power consumed by the home and studio, earning the project net-zero energy certification from Earth Advantage.

The home, constructed by Birdsmouth Design | Build, has high-performance mechanical systems but was built on a budget with economical finishes and creative use of cabinetry.

Remodeling for modern living: A two-story house in Portland’s Raleigh Hills was designed and built by an engineer for his family in the early 1970s and was remodeled in 2021 by Outside Architecture with True Blue construction.

A light material palette and openings create a bright living environment throughout the home’s 2,835 square feet of living space. See-through doors connect the kitchen and family room to the pool terrace.

Hobby soundproofing: Modern Organic Architecture and Vanillawood Design Build created a modern house with walls of glass that rise to double height ceilings on a private, wooded property in Lake Oswego.

The house has a soundproof movie and gaming room accessed through a secret hidden door, a soundproof music room, six bedrooms, four full bathrooms, two powder rooms and an indoor futsal court and home gym, reachable by a slide, among its 6,000 square feet of interior living space.

Sustainable concrete: This modern home in downtown McMinnville by M.O.Daby Design has what people crave: Simple circulation paths and a strong indoor-outdoor connection.

There is 1,458 square feet of living space plus an additional 550 square feet of decks accessed through operable glass walls. General contractor and sustainable concrete expert John Mead built the house as well as the kitchen’s concrete island countertop and the outdoor dining table, fire table and Argentine wood fire grill.

ADU: The two-level Electric Slide house in Sellwood is a collaboration between M.O.Daby Design and Oregon Homeworks. The home has a vaulted living room, two bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms within about 800 square feet of living space plus a covered front entry-patio for outdoor entertaining. This second, detached house, called an accessory dwelling unit, shares a single lot with a larger house.

— Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

[email protected] | @janeteastman