MOUNT ANGEL GUESTHOUSE

IIDA Design Excellence Awards “Hospitality - Best in Category”

“Restaurants, Clinics, Bridges - And Awards” Portland Tribune, June 2023

The Saint Benedict Guesthouse and Retreat Center is an addition and renovation to an existing guesthouse building at the monastic community of Mount Angel Abbey. The project welcomes visitors to the campus and provides clear connections to the church and surrounding natural environment. Sited at the edge of the hilltop campus, the addition is subtle and respectful to the built environment of the Abbey. Visitors to the campus are received into a landscaped court and greeted by a concrete tower, which is canted in reverence to the church bell tower beyond. Upon entering the guesthouse, visitors are welcomed by an oak-wrapped stair carved through the existing structure to provide a meaningful connection between the entry level and the church level above. Beyond, the volume of the dining room cantilevers above the guestrooms below allowing for sweeping views of the surrounding landscape.

The architecture of the guesthouse is guided by the timelessness and permanence of its setting. Simple and clear geometry responds to the site without competing with the existing architecture and fosters an environment of contemplation and healing. Materials such as cast-in-place concrete, solid white oak, and cement plaster are selected to be durable and honest. The solidity of the materials provides shelter from the noise and pretenses of the outside world. Important views are highlighted from multiple vantage points, reinforcing the building’s connection to both heaven and earth.

Location // Mount Angel, Oregon

Scope // Architecture, Interiors

Collaborators // Brian Jackson Architect, Lango Hansen, KPFF

Photographer // Jeremy Bittermann