Photos: Jeremy Bittermann
This week’s featured project of the week spotlights Portland’s cedar-clad Slabtown 4, a modern quadplex by Scott Edwards Architecture
Portland’s Slabtown neighborhood takes its name from the city’s lumber-era past. It harkens back to a time when offcuts—“slabwood”— were stacked along sidewalks for public use. That layered history directly informed the design of Slabtown 4, an award-winning, multi-generational, four-unit residence by Scott Edwards Architecture (SEA).
Built on a compact urban lot, the beautifully crafted quadplex was commissioned by a brother and sister seeking a flexible, future-proof home for their aging parents and growing families. SEA expertly organized the program as two townhouse units above two accessory dwelling units (ADUs). In section and elevation, the project reads as stacked volumes—an efficient response to a tight site that still delivers outdoor space.
Choosing a material to meet the moment
The four homes align in scale and sensibility with the traditional residences nearby. The brick datum, meanwhile, grounds the composition and picks up the cadence of adjacent one-story commercial and light-industrial buildings. For siding, there’s only one material that could bridge that kind of modern detailing with the overall conceptual goals.
“Western Red Cedar is a natural material responsive to the neighborhood and the Pacific Northwest context,” says Rick Berry, principal at SEA. “The material adds texture and warmth, will age gracefully over time, and connects to the environment—all important considerations for our clients.”
Performance-wise Real Cedar is naturally resistant to rot, decay and insects, offering inherent suitability to the region’s wet, temperate climate. To preserve the material’s visual depth, the team selected a semi-transparent finish that preserves color and grain.
“Our clients wanted to maintain the warmth and color of the natural cedar,” Berry explains, “so a finish that highlighted the grain was important to them.
“The extent of the cedar volumes is eye-catching in an urban context,” he continues, “but the natural variation in the boards helps to break down the scale and adds texture to the two-story wood boxes.”
The result is a striking, site-sensitive composition that maximizes the wood’s rich tonal range to articulate form – translating Slabtown’s timber legacy into a distinctly contemporary façade.
Real Cedar Specifications
GRADE: KD ‘A’ Clear
SIZE: 1×4 fineline smooth face front, resawn back
FASTENING: Stainless steel
APPLIED FINISH: Semi-transparent
WESTERN CEDAR SUPPLIER: Lakeside Lumber
Looking for more architectural inspiration? Download the digital edition or order a free hard copy of Cedar Book XVIII to explore the latest in contemporary wood design.