The 149-unit Vista North Pearl Condominiums overlook Fields Park towards the Willamette River, offering uninterrupted views of the West Hills and Cascade Mountains beyond. Expansive decks stretch the entire length of the building, connecting owners to the area’s natural beauty in a way that is unparalleled in residential buildings in Portland. Deeply recessed and angled deck dividers animate the intensity of light and shadow, creating unusual patterns along the building.

To maximize interior space, decks cantilever out over the property line. Units are designed to prioritize access to views with main living spaces fronting the decks and generous windows. To further reduce visual obstructions, we detailed the interior to be minimal and recede within the architecture.

Throughout the building a textural palette of warm and cool tones responds to the shadow play on the exterior and references Portland’s shifting weather patterns. The main lobby welcomes owners and guest with moments of intense warmth inspired by the sun peeking through the clouds. The solid form of a brass clad concierge desk anchors the space as a custom glass ball ceiling installation floats above, filtering light through a warm lens.  Its suspended form highlights the extent of the ground-floor glazing and connection with an active streetscape. On the 5th floor, a community room opens onto a generous and landscaped terrace, giving residents a place to gather and overlook the park activity below.

At an urban level, the five-story podium base speaks to the pervasive low-rise industrial fabric of Portland’s Pearl District, while the 21-story tower rises to meet city planning goals for taller, thinner, higher density residences in this neighborhood. The building’s Eastern and Western facades are expressive and sculpted with the brightly colored cementitious finish of the decks working as a backdrop for the plants, umbrellas, and other elements of residential outdoor living.  Ground floor retail spaces with floor to ceiling glass wrap the majority of the building’s base, helping draw pedestrians to the North Pearl and further establish it as a gateway to the city.