This 18-story, 178,000 square foot condominium tower was designed for a site along the historic Columbia River Gorge in the Pacific Northwest. The 275-foot high building affords views down the Gorge with Mt. Hood in the distance, and offers panoramic views of Portland, Oregon as well as downtown Vancouver. Eleven unigue unit plans range from 1,800 to 7,500 square feet. Each floor plate is broken into three sections to allow for dramatic interiors with floor level changes.
This landmark site demanded a landmark design response. The conceptual design for the project evolved through our consideration of the totem pole as representing the origins of true Northwest Style. A brave sentinel facing west stands guard over the Gorge with feathered headdress and five-story breastplate, a Native American maiden, wife of the sentinel, scans the fertile valleys of Central Washington. An Anglo woodsman in the form of a vertical tower peers out over the river, keeping a watchful eye over the area’s natural resources. Together they offer strength, comfort and prosperity, symbolizing unity among once-disparate peoples.
1996
1997
Randal Jay Ehm, Architect