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Four families built their own village, spending $50,000 each 70 years ago. Take a rare look inside the idyllic enclave.

August 1, 20240
The driveway leading up to the quadrant.

Timothy Niou

Storrs’ designs shared the sleek lines and wide windows of other midcentury-modern styles.

While some of his contemporaries emphasized concrete and steel in places like Los Angeles, Storrs chose natural materials and warm wooden tones that fit the green, forested Pacific Northwest region.

Four families hired Storrs to build on a jointly-purchased one-acre lot outside Portland, Oregon.
The back deck of one of the homes.

Timothy Niou

Even though it was random, each couple apparently felt like they had gotten the best house, said Lezak, whose parents were among the original four families.

“Each of the families felt their house was best situated,” she said. “There was no squabbling.”

Each house faces out to the road, but the backyards center on a patch that the Quadrant treats as “communal space,” even though every house has its own boundaries.

The original families lived in their Storrs Quadrant homes for over 30 years in what Lezak called a “harmonious” environment.
Shared space among the four houses.

Timothy Niou

Lezak said her memories of the Storrs Quadrant include picking blackberries, making mud pies, and stringing together cans between the decks to make pulley systems.

The children often played kickball and freeze tag, she added.

Lezak knew the houses were special, even if she didn’t understand their architectural significance at the time.
Inside one of the Storrs Quadrant homes.

Timothy Niou

Storrs designed a luxury resort, Salishan Coastal Lodge, known for its stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.

He also designed the Western Forestry Center and the Portland Garden Club, which have wood-lined interiors, big horizontal windows, and exposed beams.

Storrs stayed in touch with the families, Lezak said.
A kitchen in the Storrs Quadrant.

Timothy Niou

Kristin Hammond and Matt Demarest, who own one of the homes, said the communal atmosphere of the Quadrant lives on.

The current owners will get together to socialize every so often and look out for one another, Hammon added.

“We have each other’s back when people are out of town,” she told Business Insider.

Recently, 120 people got to see inside the homes via tours organized by Restore Oregon.
A living room in the Storrs Quadrant.

Timothy Niou

The Storrs Quadrant wasn’t widely known until recently, Possert, of Restore Oregon, told Business Insider.

The preservation group jumped at the chance to show off a little pocket of regional history in a one-time tour, she added.

“It was a little quiet secret,” Possert said. “We really like to bring forth how important it is to preserve parts of our recent past.”