Address: 237 SW Naito Parkway
Known as: Downtown's first and oldest commercial brick building.
Year built: 1857
Architect: Absalom B. Hallock, who was Portland's "first architect," in a time when architect licensing didn't exist. Hallock built 18 buildings. He also served as the city's first police commissioner and city surveyor, and was a member of the City Council and a volunteer firefighter.
Building materials: Brick, cast iron and wood.
Inhabitants: Absalom Hallock architecture office; then a candy factory; then a leather-goods company; then Howe scale manufacturer; then Masters, Mates & Pilots union; then Peter Corvallis Productions; now Russell Development Company Inc.
Stats: Two stories, 4,525 square feet
Amenities: Stairs, cast-iron columns (stripped away during the 1940s remodeling frenzy), efficient asbestos insulation (removed). No documented restrooms.
Skyline Residence
Address: 8037 NW Prominence Court
Known as: Contemporary modern architecture.
Year built: 2011
Architect: Jeffrey Kovel graduated from Cornell University and is the principal architect at Skylab Architecture in Portland. He also worked on a Miami residence for musician Lenny Kravitz, as well as Portland's Departure restaurant and Doug Fir Lounge.
Building materials: Metal siding, concrete framing, a 406-pound window (the largest piece of glass made in Portland), furniture made from the floor of a high-school gymnasium, moisture- and mold-protected bathroom tiles and maple flooring.
Stats: Two stories, 4,300 square feet
Owners: Two Nike executives who had the house built for them.
Amenities: Skylight intersecting two units; 12-foot-long maple table; three-car garage with wooden carport ceiling; Möbius strip-style suspended kitchen with bronze mirroring; roof deck with unobstructed Forest Park, Willamette Valley and coastal-mountain views; graffiti walls scaling the custom welded, translucent stairwell; cantilever master bedroom.
GO: Modern Home Tours presents Portland Modern Home Tour on Saturday, March 29. 11 am-5 pm, $30 online in advance, $40 day of event. Modernhometours.com/event/portland. The Skyline Residence is featured on the tour.
WWeek 2015