Dirty little secret time: I’m an architect-in-training who doesn’t love houses.  

It’s not that I don’t appreciate them, and it’s not to say that I’m not grateful for my own residence, but when push comes to shove and stud wall comes to roof enclosure I’d much rather be drooling over a swanktacular urban high rise or holistic hospital than stare at a single family dwelling…  So that probably explains why it took me nearly 25 years (aka: my lifetime) to see this ginormous piece of structure that has been tucked away in the West Hills for almost a century.

But how do you review a building, let alone a local monument? To critique architecture is to understand that there is a difference between space and place, or what you can actually touch and what your soul feels.  The careful balance of the pair is what makes a building memorable, and to many, what has made Pittock Mansion Portland’s most recognized house and also its most cherished home.

The four story building is constructed in the Renaissance Revival style, meaning that the house doesn’t necessarily resemble one type of structure, but rather the romanticized ideas behind different European building techniques.  The steep roof and grand staircase mimic those of French castles and many of the interior elements are akin to Turkish details.  Be sure to walk around the servant gate lodge, which resembles picturesque Italian manners of the late 1800s.  If you can’t get to Europe, let alone out of the northwest, this is a pretty good glimpse at what you’d see. But unlike other period structures, Pittock was designed with a small footprint, taking up little of the 46 acre site.  The use of local and regional materials, and constructed to preserve much of the surrounding landscape makes it so very Portland.  You almost have to wonder, are we talking about a historic mansion, or the values rooted in many contemporary, sustainable buildings designed in town?  

There’s something to be said about the people who envisioned such a residence.  Who, as children, walked across the entire USA to the northwest, humbly built themselves up through service and work, and were finally able to create their home in the later part of their lives.  Hard work pays off, and this is a fine reminder.  It’s enough to send chills down your spine when you stand at the edge of the paved walkway, and your realize how everything you see, from the grass blades at your feet to the Mt. Hood in the distance has evolved into the world we know today.  While Pittock Mansion will never be the place it was to the Pittock’s, to us, it’s a spot to appreciate the region the house (and we) call home.  Like many others have said, when you stand with a friend and look east beyond the sandstone facade, you’ll find yourself overcome with awe and a perhaps crack a bit of a smile at the overall beauty of the Rose City.  

Which, in my book, is more impressive than any old house could ever be.

Posted at 12:36pm and tagged with: oregon, portland, residential, good,.