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Metropolis Editors, Natural Habitat, sustainability, sustainable architecture

METROPOLIS Introduces Natural Habitat, a Sustainable Homes Video Series

The series debuts with a tour of a tranquil upstate New York retreat designed with Passive House principles.

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A modern, single-story house with wood shingles and large glass windows sits among tall grass, next to another home, with trees in the background.
Waechter Architecture’s Dune House, located on the northern Oregon coast, is a climatic and contextually sensitive home with design informed by local building traditions. A “simple box in plan,” the exterior is clad in cedar shingles, one of the most widely used building materials in the region. © Pablo Enriquez Courtesy Waechter Architecture

August 11, 2026

Waechter Architecture Builds a House in the Dunes

The single-story, cedar-shingled cabin was designed to be a contextually sensitive refuge along Oregon’s coast.  

By: Lauren Gallow

On the Oregon coast, sandy beaches stretch for miles, with rocky island outcrops dotting the water. During low tide, the shore becomes a shimmering reflection of sky and clouds—an experience nothing short of mystical. Here, in a cedar-shingled cabin on the grassy dunes above a northern strip of coastline, Portland-based Waechter Architecture has captured this tranquil, transcendent feeling in built form.  

Minimalist dining room with wood-paneled walls, four woven chairs, a large table, and an open door leading to a patio. Natural light fills the space through large glass windows.
Inside, the house is defined by a “restrained” palette of oak flooring and paneling that gives the interiors a calming presence. Rooms are organized around a central living space, kitchen, and dining alcove. © Pablo Enriquez Courtesy Waechter Architecture

“Our clients wanted a place to recharge,” says principal Ben Waechter of the homeowners, who built the beach house as a retreat from city life. “They wanted a restorative refuge where they could feel a strong connection to place.” Inspired by this site-specific design directive, Waechter envisioned a minimal, 1,800-square-foot structure that would hunker into the dune, with floor-to-ceiling glass in the living spaces and framed views in the bedrooms. “The Oregon coast has a rugged character, and the dunes provide protection,” explains Waechter. “The house echoes these qualities, becoming a refuge with great prospects.”

Inside, the home’s seemingly simple form opens to vast, intersecting ceiling planes that bring the pyramidal hip roof geometry down to human scale. The floors, walls, and ceiling are clad in rift and quartersawn white oak, encircling interior spaces with a radiating warmth that echoes the feel of the sandy dunes outside. “The simple material palette and articulate use of detail give the house a bold experiential character,” says Waechter.

Minimalist kitchen with wood-paneled walls and ceiling, stone island countertop, and large window overlooking a green outdoor landscape.
© Pablo Enriquez Courtesy Waechter Architecture

The single-story cabin includes an office, two bedrooms, and a pantry, and each space occupies a corner of the square-shaped plan. A sitting area and kitchen occupy opposing edges of the cabin, with views toward the seagrass and an interior garden, respectively. A dining room at the center is illuminated by an east-facing operable window that provides daylight to the middle of the house. “The goal was to make the house feel open in all directions, while maintaining a sense of privacy,” says Waechter of the pinwheel-style plan, which shields residents from neighbors just feet away on either side. 

The effect is one of stillness. A meditative calm permeates the cabin, while outside the wind rips across the dunes and smooths tumbled trees into bone-white driftwood. The house itself becomes an aperture for experiencing the coastline, sharpening and focusing the special qualities of this place. “The feeling of arriving at the house is a satisfying exhale,” says Waechter. “It feels nested and safe, while boldly connecting to its place on the beach.”

Minimalist room with wood walls, neutral furniture, large glass window overlooking grass-covered dunes, and soft natural light.
The primary bedroom features framed views of Oregon’s rugged coastal dunes, “providing an ideal space for rest and contemplation.” © Pablo Enriquez Courtesy Waechter Architecture

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