Amid the canopy: A 1979 Northwest modern retreat

Amid the canopy: A 1979 Northwest modern retreat

2938 SW Fairmount Blvd.

Photography Partners: Jones Media

Styling and Staging: Vetiver Street

Today in the Studio

Tucked into the forested hillside of the Southwest Hills, this 1979 architectural work by James G. Tropfenbaum distills the essence of living among the trees. Designed with conceptual simplicity and intentionality, the 3-bedroom, 1 and a half bath home spans across nearly a quarter acre lot, where warm materials, crisp lines, and an elevated outdoor living create the feeling of a modern treehouse: light-filled, grounded, and thoughtfully in sync with its surroundings. Large panes of glass dissolve the boundary between indoors and out, guiding movement through the space while framing quiet shifts in light, season, and sky.

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Just minutes from the city but a world apart, the home lives like a creative retreat.

Every detail feels intentional, defined as much by restraint as by presence. The architecture invites stillness: sunlight drifting across wood-paneled walls, the hush of dusk settling in, the sound of wind moving through the trees. Nature is not just present; it’s an immersive part of the architecture itself. The architecture is clear and unadorned, with glass and open sightlines creating a quiet dialogue between interior and landscape. This is a home that listens, where transparency and flow shape experience, and where inspiration feels close at hand.

Built in

1979

Floor plan

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