In 1957, four couples gathered at a cocktail party to see which of four daylight ranch houses would be theirs. Together, they had purchased about an acre of land in Southwest Portland’s Hillsdale neighborhood and hired modernist architect to design a floor plan with vaulted ceilings and glass walls. Two of the divided lots were a quarter acre.
One lot was larger, one smaller. When construction was nearly completed, each couple drew a number that represented a lot. “Fortunately, everyone was delighted with the house they got and believed they got their preferred location,” said Brad Wilson, who grew up in one of homes on or near Southwest 18th Drive.
“They were able to do a little bit of customization and all lived in their home for 30 or more years.” The cost to create what is known as Storrs Quadrant? Under $50,000 per couple. The contractor and subcontractors charged less per home since they were working on four at a time, and Storrs, now celebrated as an architectural change maker, was still building his reputation.
Wilson heard from his parents that Storrs thought it was a fun project and his fee was “low on the compensation scale” even though the young architect had designed the 1954 , a modern building now listed in the . The couples, three in creative fields, plus Oregon’s U.S.
attorney , liked the spare, clean lines of modern. Storrs positioned the houses and decks to maximize natural light and views of the Southwest hills and valley, while providing p.
