PRESS
“Looming out of the verdant Oregon landscape, the Royal Residence is a cut above the conventional speculative development.”
— WALLPAPER* MAGAZINE
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: “The steel-and-concrete house drops off the street and terraces down a steep slope with all three levels open to the tall Douglas firs and alders through floor-to-ceiling glass walls. The entry is on the top floor, which is encircled by a green roof, creating a yard-like area and blending it further into the forest.”
WALLPAPER* MAGAZINE: "Perched on a steep slope in Oregon’s tree-filled Forest Park, the Royal Residence by William / Kaven is the first in a series of inspiring, contemporary homes in a forward-thinking development."
THE LOCAL PROJECT: "Sitting atop one of the United States’ largest urban reserves, Royal II frames the inherent beauty of its surroundings, allowing life to unfold amid the woodlands, only minutes from downtown Portland."
DWELL: "Another dramatic architectural move is the chunk of negative space that the firm carved out between the upper and lower levels. The negative space serves as a moment between the dining area and the extending living room and is defined by an elegant horizontal structural beam. It also serves to seamlessly integrate the forest into the home and to further enhance the indoor/outdoor living experience."
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: "This metal-and-glass home is down a steep road right on the edge of Forest Park, an 8-mile-long, 5,100-acre wilderness area. It is about 4 miles from the heart of downtown."
INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURE AWARD: Royal I has been honored with a 2021 International Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum.
HYPEBEAST: "Sitting in the lush landscape of Portland‘s Forest Park, the front facade of the home tells a story of concrete and modern living, but on closer inspection, you quickly find the majority of the home submerged and cantilevered into the deep greens and browns of the sublime forest."
DESIGNBOOM: "William/Kaven Architecture has completed ‘Royal’, a remote residence immersed in the forested landscape of the Pacific Northwest. Despite its bucolic setting, the house is located in Portland’s Forest Park neighborhood — just minutes from the city center. The property was designed so that its occupants could live among the tall trees that surround the home."
MAXIM: "This 4,352-square-foot dream home is surrounded by Portland's gorgeous Forest Park."
DEZEEN: "Black wood and glass volumes stagger down Oregon woodland to form Royal house."
ARCHITECT MAGAZINE: "Through siting and material selection, the design team has furnished an experience of seclusion and privacy while still providing easy access to the amenities of the city."
GLOBAL DESIGN NEWS: "Royal is a rare gem set into forested acreage less than 500 feet from the renowned Wildwood Trail, boasting sweeping exterior terraces and balconies overlooking a lush wooded expanse."
ARCHITECTURE MASTERPRIZE: Royal has been honored with a 2020 Architecture MasterPrize.
PORTRAIT MAGAZINE: “With so much glass and natural light, even the most utilitarian spaces transcend the ordinary.”
THE OREGONIAN: "Daniel Kaven and brother Trevor William Lewis’ latest project, a glass-wrapped house on Northwest Royal Boulevard near Forest Park, showcases their ability to create structures that easily disappear into their environments."
GLOBAL DESIGN NEWS: "Serving as both Architect and Developer allowed the studio to push the limits of design and limit creative compromises."
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST INDIA: "This black-and-glass home is the perfect contemporary forest retreat."