Big Air

Open air inspires purposeful design response

Big Air sits aloft on a cliff overlooking the renowned Columbia River Gorge. The White Salmon home’s dynamic site and stellar views inform SEA’s design, determining room placement, indoor-outdoor adjacencies, and the careful balance between cozy and open. The house’s northwest modern aesthetic responds to the surrounding landscape by echoing natural materials and tones, complementing the very thing that drew the homeowners to this unique place to build their forever home.

Location
White Salmon, WA

Size
4,300 sf

Year
Estimated Winter 2024

“Big Air” is a windsurfing term that means performing a high jump utilizing the lift of the kite. The jump is often assisted in its initial stage by the rider being catapulted off the lip of a wave. The site’s cliff is reminiscent of the lip of a wave and inspired the name of the home.

The orientation of Big Air on the site maximizes views of Mt. Hood and the Columbia River and creates the indoor-outdoor connection desired by the homeowners. The steep slope of the site and the often harsh weather found in the Columbia Gorge prompted a distinctive response to the conditions. To ensure plenty of outdoor space, we nestled a terraced, covered courtyard into the hill. The courtyard is connected to the living and dining area and shares an indoor-outdoor fireplace, offering an entertaining space for all seasons.

The courtyard is also sheltered on the south by one of the home’s two cantilevered projections. These projections are purposeful in their positioning. Both are situated to optimize views for specific rooms of the home—the living room on the first level, the primary bedroom on the second—and to take advantage of the abundant natural light. The projection on the second level serves in sheltering another outdoor terrace, tucking it underneath the cantilever and placing both the terrace and the primary bedroom in the best location to view the sunset.

Big Air is a forever home for an active couple who plan to age in place. The house supports their lifestyle now by creating space dedicated to their pursuits, like an area in the garage for storing windsurfing gear and a place to make small batches of wine. The design also considers their future needs should mobility become an issue—the bathrooms and hallways are ADA accessible, and stacked closets on the first and second floor can be converted into an elevator should the need arise.