Project Overview

The Bright Tree Residence is a private residential landscape located in Camas, designed to balance ecological preservation with active outdoor living. The project encompasses a comprehensive master plan that protects existing wetlands and native habitat while introducing a diverse range of productive and recreational landscape elements. The result is a site that supports everyday life, long-term stewardship, and a strong connection to the surrounding environment.

Design Intent

The design intent was to create a landscape that functions as both a home setting and a working, living landscape—one that supports food production, habitat, and recreation without compromising ecological integrity. The plan prioritizes preservation of sensitive areas while organizing outdoor living, play, and garden spaces in a way that feels integrated and intuitive. The landscape is structured to allow the modern architecture to sit comfortably within a rugged, natural context rather than stand apart from it.

Landscape Strategy

A layered landscape strategy was employed to differentiate between managed and natural areas across the site. Native planting—including a variety of grasses and regionally appropriate species—was used throughout the surrounding acreage to establish a low-maintenance framework that supports wildlife and reinforces the site’s natural character. These plantings anchor the home within the broader landscape while allowing restored habitats and wetlands to function with minimal intervention.

Closer to the residence, extended outdoor living areas were designed to transition gently into the surrounding landscape. Open sightlines connect these spaces to the orchard, large edible gardens, hop trellises, beehives, and forest beyond, reinforcing a visual and functional relationship between daily living and land cultivation.

Collaborators

M.O.Daby Design, Urban NW Homes