720 NW Saint Helens Ave, Portland

Some houses are only designed by architects. This one was designed, lived in, and carefully stewarded by one of Oregon's most celebrated modernists for nearly sixty years. When Saul Zaik completed this house in 1961, he wasn't just creating a home for his family. He was building a laboratory for his ideas about how Northwest modern architecture could dissolve the boundaries between dwelling and forest.

4

Bedrooms

2

Bathrooms

1961

Year Built

Saul Zaik

Developer

Mid-Century Modern

Style

Forest Park

Neighborhood

Nestled into a tree-filled hillside within walking distance of Forest Park, the house sits among mature Douglas firs and maples that have grown up around and, in some cases, within inches of the facade. The result is a dwelling that feels less like a house in the woods and more like an elegant treehouse.


Zaik's approach divided the 2,009-square-foot residence into two distinct pavilions connected by a dramatic glass-walled entry accessed via a cantilevered deck. This separation creates a clear hierarchy between public and private while maintaining visual connections throughout. The flat-roofed bedroom wing houses two bedrooms and a bath, each opening onto an intimate hillside garden carved from the slope. Glass doors blur the line between interior and exterior, making the garden feel like an extension of the bedrooms.


The public wing takes a different approach entirely. Here, a soaring vaulted Douglas fir ceiling crowns the living spaces, which cantilever over the hillside to capture expansive views through a wall of glass. Below, two additional bedrooms share a second bath, each looking out at the forest through generous glazing.

Photo Credit: Portland Modern & RMLS

Wooden deck with wood-paneled walls and a view of a modern structure with large windows, trees visible through the structure.
Mid-Century living room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a forest. Wooden ceilings, furniture and accents.
Mid-Century Kitchen with wood ceiling and cabinetry, large windows, stainless steel appliances, and a rug.

What makes the house remarkable isn't just its architectural strategy but how that strategy creates specific experiences throughout the day and year. Dappled sunlight filters through the forest canopy from every direction, creating ever-shifting patterns of light and shadow on the wood-clad interior surfaces. The proximity of mature trees means the house exists within the forest rather than simply adjacent to it - you're surrounded by bark, branches, and leaves at eye level from almost every room.


Multiple decks wrapping the two pavilions provide varied outdoor spaces for different times of day and different moods - some sheltered, some exposed, all intimately connected to the surrounding landscape.

Dining room with wood paneling, large windows, and mid-century modern furniture.
Bedroom with sliding glass doors to a deck, white walls, wood ceiling, and a view of trees.

Saul Zaik's work has been featured in publications like Dwell, Sunset, and Architect, recognition of his role in defining what Northwest modern architecture could be. As one of the celebrated "14th Street Gang" of Portland architects like Bill Fletcher who emerged in the 1950s and '60s, Zaik helped establish a regional modernism that honored International Style principles while responding specifically to Oregon's forests, light, and topography.


Four bedrooms and two baths across two levels provide functional living space, but the house's real essence is about something else. It's about creating a contemplative relationship between the residents and the natural world just beyond (and sometimes inside) the glass.

Wooden deck area with wood-paneled walls, an open doorway, and a tree visible through a glass enclosure.
Wooden cabin with deck surrounded by lush greenery and gravel pathway.

This house was his own residence and represents his ideas in their purest form, uncompromised by client preferences or budget constraints. It's Zaik's vision fully realized and then carefully maintained through decades of living. The original design remains intact, offering insight into how one of the Northwest's most thoughtful architects chose to live.