Elegant and earthbound, his homes are contemplative and connected with nature One of Portland?s more prolific midcentury architects, Saul Zaik can be self-deprecating when talking about his own work, once describing his career as experimenting with integrating indoor and outdoor spaces and simply ?building boxes with a bunch of windows.?
But the homes? simple forms belie a deep connection to the landscape?and Zaik?s role in the evolving school of Pacific Northwest Modernism. When talking with Portland Modern about his own philosophy on designing homes?from angular beachfront condos to timber-lined residences in the Willamette Valley?Zaik referenced childhood memories of ?stacked cord wood and wet sawdust fuel piles? by the simple barns and cabins found in the forests and farmland. His work begins by asking simple questions about, and being aware of, the environment.
?I think people have to learn a little more about how they want to live in a house,? he said during a recent interview with Coast Modern. Zaik?s deceptively simple style, discreet designs for those who want to connect with the outdoors, creates ample space for contemplation of that very question. He was part of a postwar generation that wanted to change the idea of architecture; he just did it with a little more reserve than most.

Brian Libby
The inside of Zaik?s own residence

Biography
Zaik came into architecture through drawing; as a kid growing up in Portland, he was entran...