Desert Rain home
Oregon Architecture

Breaking New Ground

A Bend couple builds an extreme green dream home written byMelissa Dalton | photography by Ross Chandler Eight years ago, Tom Elliott and Barbara Scott took a fortuitous road trip. The couple was driving from Bend to Southern Utah to go backpacking when they heard an interesting broadcast on public radio. The program featured Seattle architect Jason McLennan discussing the creation of his new green building standards, called the Living Building Challenge (LBC). His challenge was for people to craft buildings as self-sustaining as plants. At the time, Elliott and Scott were planning their own “uber-green home” in Bend, but McLennan’s message inspired them to go further. “We just looked at each other and said, ‘That’s exactly what we want to do,’” Elliott said. The couple met in Montana, where Elliott was a sustainable cattle rancher and Scott was a school administrator. They bonded over a shared love of the outdoors…

Portland State University
Oregon Architecture

The Greening of Universities

Oregon universities combine high design and sustainability in three new builds written by Melissa Dalton OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY-CASCADES Tykeson Hall When Bora Architects designed the first academic building on Oregon State University’s new Cascades campus in Bend in 2014, the firm drew inspiration from an efficient, and uber-handy, object: the Swiss Army knife. Why? The footprint of the new building, Tykeson Hall, is relatively small–just 45,000 square feet–yet it would accommodate many academic and programming needs on the growing campus. (A dorm and dining hall were built simultaneously.) Requirements included classrooms of all sizes, from science labs to an eighty-person auditorium, a library and computer lab, student council space and administrative offices.  Equally important and ambitious is OSU’s goal to ensure future Cascades campus operations will be net-zero, meaning it produces as much energy as it consumes, balances water supply and demand, and eliminates landfill waste. Toward that end, Bora specified…

Oregon wine country, France
Explore Oregon

How to Travel Abroad without Leaving the PNW

Twelve places in the PNW that transport you to other cultures written by Kevin Max, illustrations by Allison Bye For those of us with wanderlust, the pandemic greatly curtailed our travel plans, confining us exclusively to local destinations, and only those where it is safe to go. Thankfully, the Pacific Northwest brings with it many amazing proxies for foreign travel. In this piece, we explore the regions, towns and venues throughout the Northwest that share some stunning similarities with their European, Scandinavian and Asian counterparts. If you can’t hop on a plane right now, jump in your car and satisfy your wanderlust while contributing to the local economy. Here are twelve places where you can travel abroad from your car. POULSBO – NORWAY The sons and daughters of Norway are alive and well in the tiny Norwegian town of Poulsbo on Washington’s Kitsap Peninsula. Known as Little Norway on the…

Oregon wasabi
Farm to Table, Live Oregon

Oregon Wasabi?

Oregon-grown wasabi is a versatile and spicy option for your cooking written by Sophia McDonald Sushi aficionados, take note: That spicy, lime green paste next to your dragon roll may be called wasabi, but chances are it isn’t the real thing. Most of the time, it’s a combination of horseradish, powdered mustard and green food coloring.  Wasabi is native to Japan, but you can buy it closer to home than you might think. Oregon Coast Wasabi in Tillamook County is one of only three commercial growers in the United States. Co-founder and CEO Jennifer Bloeser quite by accident stumbled onto the relative of the horseradish plant at an equestrian event. A fellow participant had brought some plants to the gathering and was giving them away. Bloeser’s neighbors in Southeast Portland were always sharing the bounty from their gardens with her, and she was looking for something to give back. Wasabi,…

gin cocktail
Food+Drink

Cocktail Card

Rosemary’s Bee Bee recipe courtesy of Hannah Loop at The Winchester Inn, Ashland •  2 ounces Hendrick’s Gin  • ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice  • ¾ ounce rosemary black peppercorn honey syrup  • Rosemary garnish FOR SYRUP​ •  tablespoons black peppercorns​ •  cup water​ •  cup honey​ • handful of fresh rosemary FOR COCKTAIL Combine and shake over ice, then double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with rosemary. FOR SYRUP​ Toast black peppercorns, then add to saucepan with water and honey. Bring to a low simmer.  Add a small handful of fresh rosemary and let simmer for five minutes.  Remove from heat and steep for 20 minutes. Strain. 

rafting the Owyhee
Explore Oregon, Outdoors

Rafting the Owyhee River

Travel through time in a land of legends written and photographed by Adam Thorn Smith Outdoorsy Portlanders love to say “every environment is an hour away!” But, what if we went farther? What if we went … all the way? There is a place in our state—an inexplicable convolution of time and rock—where a river spills like mercury through the heart of an ancient supervolcano. Hot springs still steam with hidden heat. Relics lie lost in caves. Legends are born and die here, some never told.  Oregon’s loneliest corner and most remote region, the extreme southeast, is seven hours and 400 miles from Portland. To most imaginations, southern Malheur County must be a bland expanse of tumbleweed and juniper, the rare hare or coyote, somewhere past Steens Mountain. In truth, earth-bending natural wonders and geologic monoliths abound. People who venture here, by luck or lack thereof, are as unusual as…

Partners in Diversity
Think Oregon

All in for Diversity

Partners in Diversity seeks to draw professionals of color to the Portland area—and keep them there You don’t have to live in Los Angeles or New York to know that American demographics are changing. According to Mari Watanabe, the executive director of Portland-based Partners in Diversity, it’s in everybody’s—and every company’s—best interest to keep up.  “As the demographics of the country shift, businesses have an opportunity to meet the demands of a more diverse customer base,” Watanabe said. “Likewise, as a company’s customer base becomes more diverse, so should its workforce.” Partners in Diversity is a nonprofit organization that helps companies recruit, support and retain professionals of color in both Oregon and Southwest Washington. For individuals of color, it’s also a lucrative lifeline to connect with others on both a personal and professional level. On the business side, Partners in Diversity offers a robust agenda of educational forums and events…

Ultimate Oregon Road Trip
Live Oregon

The Ultimate Oregon Road Trip

12 days, tons of sights Get ready for the drive of a lifetime written by Sheila G. Miller After being cooped up, hitting the open road can be invigorating.  The past few months have been a trying time for all of us. But there’s no balm like the outdoors to soothe anxiety and give us a renewed sense of self.  We spent some time trying to construct the ultimate Oregon road trip—that is, a twelve-day trip that takes you through the natural wonders of our state. From the dunes of the Oregon Coast to the jagged edges of the Wallowas, we tried to hit them all. For now, reopening our state to tourism is uncertain, so some of this may continue to be a pipe dream. But that doesn’t mean we can’t plan and dream—join us, won’t you? DAY 1 BEND Bend is in the center of the state, making for…