Embracing the Japanese principle of shakkei, the home’s natural landscape creates an environment ideal for indoor-outdoor living and a blueprint for artistry and design

Portland, Oregon (July 18, 2018)—The concept of eco-living is raised to a new level with the Suteki House, organic architecture at its best. The home is the embodiment of simplicity, where design defers to the flow of space, light, and views. Natural materials and sustainability inform the structure. Further imbuing the home is the Japanese principle of shakkei (borrowed scenery), in which the natural landscape is used to enhance the building and in turn heightens the beauty of the terrain. Modernist and mid-century architectural pioneers, including Frank Lloyd Wright and Joseph Eichler, have embraced the ancient principle of shakkei in creating homes that bring the outdoors in.

Christie’s International Real Estate, the world’s leading luxury real estate network, is marketing Suteki House through Luxe Platinum Properties, its exclusive Affiliate in Oregon, at a price upon request.

“Yokohama-born architect Kengo Kuma has focused on adapting Japanese traditions of building for 21st-century living,” said Zackary Wright, Executive Director of Christie’s International Real Estate. “Suteki House truly integrates its natural setting to create a tasteful presentation of smart housing, taking full advantage of the site’s mature oak and redwood trees and the stream running alongside the property, along with walls of glass to infuse the home with natural light.”

The 4,739-square-foot property with soaring walls of glass is introduced by a ground floor with a faceted white ceiling contoured to mimic origami shapes. This level boasts a living room, dining room, kitchen, a master bedroom with a bath styled as an updated Japanese spa, a gallery, and a study, plus lovely outdoor patios. A wall of vertical louvers along the main wing acts as a screen simultaneously shading the house, while allowing for garden views and affording privacy from the outside. Hidden behind is the staircase to the upper floor with two bedrooms and a family room. An observatory frames the garden, creek, and tree-lined vistas beyond. A continuous wooden deck covered by deep, sheltering eaves runs the length of the house.

High-performance glass and passive cooling and lighting offer year-round climate control. Built on a triangular plot to nestle into the sloping terrain, each of the ground-floor rooms has sliding-door access to the outdoors. Locally sourced Alaskan yellow cedar is used on louvers, eaves, and soffits to complement the white oak floors and natural stone. The overall effect is one of serenity, warmth, and, most importantly, comfort. There are rooms to be sociable and spaces for privacy.

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About Christie’s International Real Estate

Christie’s International Real Estate has successfully marketed high-value real estate around the world for more than 30 years. Through its New York City brokerage and invitation-only Affiliate network spanning 50 countries, Christie’s International Real Estate offers incomparable services to a global clientele at the luxury end of the residential property market. The company has offices in London, New York City, Hong Kong, Moscow, Los Angeles, and Palm Beach, and its affiliated brokerages have recorded approximately US$450 billion of real estate transactions over the last five years. (Data as of March 31, 2018). For additional information, please visit www.christiesrealestate.com.