Lisa and Scott May were not looking for a transformational building project when they noticed a “For Sale” sign while walking along the Deschutes River Trail one summer day in 2018. On a whim, they walked up the staircase to see what lay on the elevated property above First Street Rapids Park. With towering ponderosa pines and river views, they immediately felt at home on the land.
“It had a complete stillness to it, which is nurturing and soothing to the mind, body and spirit,” said Lisa.
They bought the property in March 2019, and the ideas immediately began swirling. The Mays didn’t want to build just any house. Both are deeply committed to sustainability: Scott is a food scientist focusing on regenerative food systems, and Lisa is a leadership coach who helps individuals and organizations unlock potential through science-based technologies. They decided to pursue a LEED-certified building concept and then heard about the International Living Future Institute and the Living Building Challenge (LBC). The “Mount Everest” of sustainable architecture, the LBC is the world’s most rigorous and aspirational green building certification with standards such as generating 105% of the energy used on site.
“There is a reason they call it a challenge,” said Lisa. “There were a lot of big hurdles to overcome throughout the process.” The greatest was designing a water system that met the LBC criteria to use only captured water and manage wastewater to meet city and DEQ standards, she described.
The home, which they named River Sol, has stylish and functional bioregional modern architecture specifically adapted to help the structure sustain the elements in Bend. The shed roofs collect rain and snow melt, funneling it into a 15,000-gallon cistern—capturing enough water to use throughout the year.
The choice of architects for the project was easy for the Mays in light of their ambitions. They selected architects Al Tozer and Cecile Cuddihy of Tozer Design. Tozer and Cuddihy designed Desert Rain in Bend, the world’s first residential full Living Certified building. The Mays are in the Living Building Challenge “performance period” where they must occupy and monitor key metrics such as energy and water use for a year. They’ll learn if River Sol earns Living Certification by the end of 2025.
Taking Cues From Nature
From the street, River Sol looks imposing. Creating a tall structure was the only way to position the solar array high enough to reach the sun above the site’s tall trees.
Once inside, the home is warm and inviting. Mimicking a deciduous shade tree, the roof overhangs keep the hot sun from touching the windows or the glass doors in the summer. Natural light filters in from every angle, and operable glass walls and windows let in cool breezes. In the winter, when the sun is lower, light streams inside, warming the concrete slab floors and living spaces.
“River Sol is incredibly well connected to place,” said Tozer. “When you are in the home, you are also outside the home because of the transparency of the walls and that interaction between you and the [outside] environment.”
Interior designers Jeannie Legum, Lisa Arballo and Taelor Lang of Legum Design understood the principles of the Living Building Challenge and used biophilic design—a philosophy that connects people to nature in built environments—to carry a sense of place throughout the home’s interior design. The team chose autumnal tones for the kitchen and main living area, which is anchored by a basalt wrapped fireplace at one end of the space that heats the entire home. The golden yellow kitchen backsplash consists of leaf-patterned tile emulating falling leaves. The tile in the primary bathroom shower recalls a pixelated rushing river. The home’s exterior is clad partly in reclaimed cedar planks from trees affected by the 2020 fires near Detroit Lake. In the primary suite, the wood comes from outdoors onto the ceiling inside and continues vertically down the wall behind the bed.
“It’s like a cozy tree house where you feel immediately connected to nature and relaxed,” said Arballo.
Regenerative Home Finishes
River Sol is made up of two separate dwelling units, and Lisa uses the second unit for her office and retreats. The home’s sweeping patio is tiered like an amphitheater and looks down onto a riparian environment and the First Street Rapids Park.
A showcase for artisans and artists specializing in sustainable furniture and art, every piece in the home tells a story. In the living room, the coffee table is made from a live-edge reclaimed walnut slab. The team from Ecobalanza in Seattle crafted the sectional from organic leather. The bed in the primary suite, a custom design from Modern Honor, features an asymmetrical steel wave base that recalls the river below. A colorful piece of regenerative art by native Bahamian artist Dr. Desiree Cox is not only beautiful; it’s a sensory experience. The viewer sees something new every time they look at the abstract patterns, colors and textures.
Similarly, the home is a living example of how architecture can be beautiful, functional and nourishing.
“This project aligns with everything we believe in,” said Lisa, “and embodies a sustainable way of being.”
