Smith Cottage

Nicknamed the “Crow’s Nest”, this guest cottage on an historic farm property in rural Oregon was built on the site of the original house. The cottage was designed to accommodate visiting adult children and their families, but also employs many aging-in-place principles to provide a comfortable living space for the clients in their later years. The siting takes advantage of a special location on the property, providing privacy but also farm/valley views and easy access to the main house.

On the interior, finish materials include a wood accent wall made of reclaimed decking from the property, handmade tile, and CVG Fir cabinets made in-house. On the exterior, the covered front porch takes advantage of the pastoral views and has a woven rebar railing, and the sand finished concrete patio was poured flush with the interior floor for easy wheelchair access and has a series of basalt boulders arranged around the perimeter. The retaining wall is dry stack basalt set at bench height and the plantings were all done by the homeowners, whose participation throughout was vital in accomplishing this beautiful project.