Family Porch

Location
Portland, OR
Size
1,040 SF
A Fresh Take on the Front Porch

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Outdoor seating area on a rooftop deck with wood furniture, cushioned chairs, and a central table, where a family gathers beside a modern cable railing with neighborhood views.

This charming Portland home offers the best of city and country living—a short walk to downtown, a backyard that backs up to a forest and front porch views of the river and mountains. However, a tiny shed of a garage disjointed from the home posed a few safety concerns. A new garage with a rooftop deck provides all the right answers to this urban home’s design challenges.

Site context diagram showing neighborhood streets, surrounding buildings, and topography with the project location highlighted, paired with an elevation silhouette illustrating the home’s position on a hillside overlooking the water.
Section drawing of a rooftop deck above a garage, showing outdoor seating, railing, and umbrella, with people illustrating scale and activity along the adjacent street.

The clever design solution brings a backyard lifestyle just out the front door. And when the owner is a contractor, it makes the complicated construction a bit easier on the team.

The ingenious concept connects a new structure directly to the basement so the homeowners can drive into the garage and enter the house without going outside. That meant digging below the existing house foundation line to make it happen. 

Bye, bye to the tiny shed and hello to a two-car garage with elbow room for all the stuff that needs storage space. An adjacent fenced-in recycling area keeps smells and spills outside. 

Original Craftsman-style home with steep front stairs, aging garage doors, and overgrown tree partially obscuring the entry.
Front view of a home with a rooftop deck above a two-car garage, featuring wood garage doors, a cable railing, and outdoor seating spanning the full-width terrace.
After renovation showing a bright, open rooftop deck above the garage with modern railing, wood accents, and direct stair access connecting the home to outdoor living space.
Furnished rooftop deck with wood lounge seating, patterned outdoor rug, and railing overlooking a quiet residential street.

The rooftop deck, set at the same level as the existing porch, created an extension of the first floor of the house—an enviable outdoor living space. This concept also enhanced the overall street presence, a perfect example of designing a home to embrace the street.

At the deck, concrete pavers sit on pedestals, concealing a proper roof below. This disguises drainage while also providing access for repairs.

Family gathered on a spacious rooftop deck with wood lounge furniture, outdoor rug, and modern railing extending from the front of the remodeled home.

The parapet line at the rooftop deck sits low, while a stainless steel cable guardrail preserves seated views of the river and mountains beyond. Despite this low enclosure, the sitting area feels entirely safe and private. Neighbors don’t have spying views down to the patio, and passersby can’t sneak a peek looking up.

The space supports a generous lounge-worthy furniture layout with a walkway at the perimeter against the parapet wall.

Kids playing chess on a furnished rooftop deck with wood lounge seating, patterned rug, and modern railing creating a comfortable outdoor living space.
Detail of rooftop deck structure showing custom wood pergola bracket, exterior light fixture, and garage doors below.

“We have worked with Lisa and Adam on three separate remodels and love their ability to elicit and design to our wants and desires.  Additionally, we appreciate that they work with us to spec out all the finishes before the project kicks off.  This makes ordering materials, especially in today’s supply chain environment, more orderly and helps keep the project on schedule.  They are very exacting and detailed oriented.  We love working with them!”

Kara & Hamish M.

Homeowners