Portland Real Estate for sale 4645 SW Fairview Blvd

John Yeon built few houses and it is rare for one of them to come on the market. This house was commissioned by noted physician Dr Kenneth Swan and was completed in 1952. It is one of four architecturally significant houses built next to each other at the juncture of Fairview and Skyline Blvd in the southwest hills close to downtown Portland. (Click on aerial map image at left for photos). These four houses are certainly among the most notable examples of regional modernism in existence. Two of the houses (the Aubrey Watzek House done be Yeon in 1937 and the Jennings Sutor House done by Pietro Belluschi in 1939) were cited by noted architectural critic Russell Hitchcock in an article entitled "An Eastern Critic Looks at Western Architecture" published in the December 1940 issue of California Arts and Architecture as among the best modern residential structures to be found in the United States. The other two houses which came later are both by Yeon and are equally noteworthy. All four of the houses are on sizable lots ranging from 3 to 11 acres; The lot size for this house is just under 4 acres.

Recent History

Dr Swan and his wife Virginia raised their family and lived in the house from 1952 until their passing. Evidently they liked what Yeon delivered because they kept the house in original condition including interior colors, finishes and even furniture for all the years they lived here. The home was purchased from the Swan family in 2007 by noted Portland citizen and businessman Tom Denhart who recognized it for the architectural gem that it is. While the house had been lovingly preserved through the years, major systems upgrades were in order. These were carried out with great respect for the architectural significance of the house.

Improvements include:

New slate roof by Bob Carlson Roofing
New electrical service
New water service and substantial new plumbing throughout
Natural gas brought to house
New alarm system
New furnace system with zoned thermostatic controls
Insulation upgrade
New hot water supply system
New operable skylights that improve daylighting
New ceiling point lighting in living room and master bedroom
Lower level media room
Lower level multi-purpose room

Kitchen Upgrade:

The original kitchen was largely preserved including the CVG fir cabinetry. One wall was changed to a half-wall to open up the space and the eating area. New counter tops were added and new cork floors installed. Sink and hardware was replaced and new appliances installed.

Bathrooms

The main bathroom is completely upgraded including new tiled shower with glass enclosure, tile floors with in-floor heat, heated towel rack, new awning style window with views to the forest beyond. The original sink and sink lighting were preserved.

The master Bath area was reconfigured to provide large walk-in closet with natural lighting. The bathroom is all new from the studs out with cabinetry by Michael A. Smith Co, caesarstone countertops and new fixtures and hardware. A new large bathtub in front of a new window that looks out into the extensive forested grounds to the north. Tile floors with radiant heat were added.

The bedroom on the third floor has its' own full bath to which a shower has been added.

The House

One of the tenets of the Northwest Regional style was respect for the site. For Yeon this respect was the most important element in design: the structure must respond to the site and blend into it. The Swan house is an impressive example of his skill in designing a structure in complete sympathy with the landscape in which it was placed. The plan, elevations and roof line change subtly to follow the contour of the site. The cedar tree at the front of the house was large when the house was built and the plans were developed around the tree. The exterior is sided with a 12” board and batten of wood left natural. The form of the roof and the broad overhangs sit naturally in the setting and provide a welcoming sense of shelter from the northwest weather. The long covered walkway along the front of the house connects the garage and parking area to the main house providing a powerful transition blending landscape and structure. It is difficult not to pause along this walk as you begin to enter the structure and admire the grounds, as if the architect intended the structure to pay deference to the site even as you enter the house.

As mentioned above, the house is situated on just under four acres next to the three other houses with large forested lots and also to tracts of the Arboretum and its' many acres of forested park. This situation makes for an amazing forest setting just minutes from downtown. The house is sited at the front and top of the lot, with distinct garden areas surrounding the house. The approach to the front door which is on the south side of the house has a front garden of a formal layout next to the large cedar. The front door is reached either along the covered walk next to the house or along a path skirting the perimeter of this garden. Also on the south side of the house but further west is a large expanse of lawn stretching into the surrounding forest. As you approach the house, this area is screened from view by a wooden fence perpendicular to the front of the house. This arrangement provides the living room with a more private landscape than the entry area which is more public. At the rear of the house the land slopes downward and is made up of mature coniferous forest and northwest plants. At the northeast end of the house is another expanse of lawn and garden that is viewed from the kitchen and accessed from the dining area. This garden also transitions to the forested area to the north and east of the house.

The interior of the house features Yeon’s trademark hemlock walls and ceilings. Again, the wood is left natural, allowing it to age and mellow on its own. A built in sofa sits perpendicular to the fireplace-- an arrangement that Yeon employed often. The living room fireplace is particularly fine with elegant and clean details. The mantle becomes the top of the built in cabinet behind the sofa which also acts as a partial wall for the stairs that lead up to the master bedroom. A particularly pleasing detail is how the brick hearth extends to the door leading to the patio off of the living room--it is as if a garden path came into the house ending in front of the fire. The glass walls which punctuate the spaces and bring light and the gardens inside are articulated by vertical mullions arranged on the 2’ and 3’ grid or modules that pervades the house and which play off of the 12” board and batten exterior. The area between the ceiling and the the top of the tall windows in the living areas is filled with solid panels with uplighting. All of the windows in the house use a fixed pane with a ventilator panel either above or below, another Yeon trademark that he employed from the Watzek house (1937) forward.

The plan of the house arranges spaces in a dynamic and practical way. The central living and dining area forms a nucleus that is given form by blocks of space around it and kept fluid by the expanses of glass The master bedroom with its’ own fireplace and sitting area occupies the western end of the house. There are 2 bedrooms with bathroom in a “block” to the north. The kitchen with eating area and utility areas are to the south east. A fourth bedroom with full bath is upstairs. A family room and large multi-purpose room are on the lower level (with access to the outside).

The Space

While the rich surfaces and carefully articulated details found everywhere in the home are impressive, they seem almost secondary to the palpable feeling of “correctness” that results from the exquisite proportioning of the spaces in this house. Pietro Belluschi said that humans have an innate abillity to sense space that is sympathetic to the human body. To me this house is a fine example of that: the house exerts a calming and inviting effect while keeping you wonderfully connected to the natural enviornment of the site.