Mid-Century Inspired Central Oregon Custom Home
Project Overview
A 4,200-square-foot LEED Platinum home at Tetherow resort in Bend, Oregon, draws on mid-century modern architecture and high-desert materials. We built it to capture Cascade Mountain views, run on solar energy, and fit the lifestyle of either an empty-nester couple or a family of five.
The Team
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Neil Kelly
Bend Team
Key Facts
- Scope Level
- Replace
- Service
- Custom Homes
- Size
- 4,200 sq ft
- Location
- Tetherow, Bend
The Challenge
The homeowners wanted a home that belonged to its Central Oregon setting: rustic enough for the high desert, refined enough to feel intentional in every detail. The 4,200-square-foot floor plan needed to capture mountain views in front and resort views in back while preserving privacy from adjacent properties. It also had to flex between two very different household sizes: an empty-nester couple and a family of four or five.
Energy performance was a non-negotiable objective. The home targets LEED Platinum certification, which meant hybrid insulation, airtight sealing, UV-resistant triple-pane windows, a ductless mini-split HVAC system, and a 9.24-kilowatt photovoltaic solar array all had to be integrated without compromising the mid-century aesthetic.
One exterior feature created an unusual engineering challenge. The butterfly roof that defines the lower level funnels water to a single low point, concentrating runoff and creating serious potential for water intrusion. The team had to design a drainage system that handled heavy flow reliably while fitting the building’s clean geometric lines.
The Solution
The home’s mid-century form does the heavy lifting. Floating canopies, subtle angles, and long horizontal lines highlight exterior features while softening the geometry. Gapped horizontal juniper siding contrasts with vertical tongue-and-groove cedar plank siding, grounding the building in local materials.
Inside, the scale stays human. Rooms are open but not overwhelming, with natural light unifying each space throughout the day. The floor plan places living areas to capture the Cascade Mountain panorama from the front and resort views from the back, while setbacks and siting protect privacy on both sides.
For the butterfly roof drainage, we engineered a recessed 7-by-12-inch opening at the roof’s low point that feeds into an 11-foot cantilevered trough. Water cascades off the trough into a large drywell and disperses through the landscaped yard — turning a potential vulnerability into a visible design element.
The energy systems work quietly behind the architecture. Hybrid insulation and airtight construction control airflow. Triple-pane windows resist UV degradation at altitude. The mini-split system heats and cools without ductwork, and the solar array offsets the home’s energy demand to meet Platinum-level performance.
- Built a 4,200-sq-ft LEED Platinum custom home at Tetherow resort in Bend, Oregon
- Oriented the floor plan to capture Cascade Mountain and resort views while maintaining privacy from neighbors
- Designed a butterfly-roof drainage system with cantilevered trough and drywell to manage concentrated water runoff
- Installed a 9.24 kW photovoltaic solar array and ductless mini-split HVAC
- Used hybrid insulation, airtight sealing, and UV-resistant triple-pane windows for high-performance energy efficiency
- Clad the exterior in local juniper and cedar siding to root the mid-century design in the high-desert landscape
- Created a flexible floor plan that serves both a couple and a family of five
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