1859 March | April 2018

home + design
The Burgess family took a modern approach to the
farmhouse rebuild, with concrete and salvaged wood.
Erik Bishoff
Eugene: A Modern Family Hub
Susie Burgess remembers exactly when she laid eyes on the
“epitome of the perfect farm” in her hometown of Eugene. She was
in her teens, riding her bike along the McKenzie River, and there it
was: “A little white farmhouse with a white picket fence around it.
A beautiful red barn and a windmill,” she said. “Then right behind
those, the river.” Fast forward to 2012, and Burgess and her husband,
Terry, were looking for the ideal spot to settle into their forever
home. When they learned that Susie’s “perfect” homestead was for
sale, and included about 12 acres and 1/4 mile of river frontage, they
snapped it up.
Unfortunately, the small 1900s farmhouse had been neglected for
years and exuded the “aroma of cat urine and cigarette smoke,” Terry
Burgess said. The couple spent months rehabbing it while planning to
build their dream abode nearby. It was designed by their son, Andy
Meakins, a designer who studied architecture at the University of
Oregon. He took a decidedly more modern approach to the home’s
look. “Modern was the cleanest way to accentuate the property and
the views,” Meakins said.
The result, built by Six Degrees Construction, embraces a wealth
of open space on the main floor, with plenty of glazing to bring in
sunlight and the natural setting. The main level fulfills all of the
couple’s essential living requirements, functioning like a self-sufficient
apartment, while three upstairs bedrooms can be readied for family
or closed off as needed. “It was really important for them to have a
house for the rest of their lives,” Meakins said. “So the house expands
and contracts based on use.” Resource-efficient strategies, including a
rooftop solar array, geothermal heat pump with radiant floor heating
and airtight construction further raise the comfort.
Regarding finishes, the group opted for a simple palette with
subtle texture in order to create an interior that’s “a canvas for living,”
Meakins said. Terry Burgess painstakingly culled reclaimed wood
from the property’s old chicken coop, nicknamed the ‘Chicken Hilton,’
which he deconstructed. “The Chicken Hilton was put together
very well, but it was also some 80 years old, so the nails had taken a
set,” he said. Used as accents throughout, from the bedroom to the
kitchen island, the salvaged wood brings warmth and balances white
walls, sleek kitchen cabinets and monochromatic tile. A spectacular
fireplace facade composed of fiber-reinforced concrete imprinted
with a wood grain pattern connects the matte concrete floors and the
mix of hemlock and fir on the ceiling. Unexpected details, like the
live-edge entry bench milled from a tree felled at Susie’s childhood
home, are delightful surprises.
A universal favorite feature is the main room’s 24-foot-wide glass
door, which offers a panorama of the landscape and “the feeling of
being outside but being protected,” Meakins said. “It’s like you’re on
the edge of the wilderness.” The homeowners are constantly drawn to
it, whether they’re watching a hawk fly over the river or sliding open
the doors for a family party to spill outside. “It’s just a real joy to live
here,” Burgess said.
MARCH | APRIL 2018 1859 OREGON’S MAGAZINE 49