Properties Available

* Spectacular 5.88 Acre private site with level building area
* Proposed one-level custom home designed for the lot
* Less than 11 miles to Downtown Portland
* Spacious rooms, open & light interior, large outdoor living areas, private setting and more
* Over 4,000 square feet

$989,500

Price is approximate and subject to change. Photo is of a house previously constructed
with similar a plan that was designed by Troy Farnsworth

Soldera Properties – Call Patrick Krause (503) 807-4430
solderaproperties.com || pk@patrickkrause.com

Directors Mortgage
Preferred Local Lending
Call Mark J. Hanna
Chairman/CEO NMLS-91462, MLO-91462
mark@directorsmortgage.net
(503) 636-6000
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Watch an intimate interview with the designer. Get inside his head and learn about his background, his creative process and inspirations.

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We designed our new site to share our great services and experiences with you. Our clients and business associates know us for designing luxury homes, custom homes, interior design and space planning. Our designs are livable for a lifetime. Browse our site and you’ll see why. Along the way, we’ll share our vision and insights on Architerior.

Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

Cheers,

Troy Farnsworth

Providing design services for fine home building and space planning for commercial and residential projects.

Faith Cathcart / The Oregonian The 89-year-old Cordero House in Tigard serves as a safe-haven and reform program for abused boys. After years of crowding, the house is being remodeled and expanded.

TIGARD — Twelve boys are on a mission to get their lives on track. A support staff is determined to make that happen. And a creaky old house in Tigard is serving as headquarters for the whole process.

This is the situation at the Cordero House, a residential treatment program for boys ages 13 to 19 who have been sexually abused. They are in custody of the Oregon Youth Authority for their own offenses and live in the house for up to two years.

The house is a branch of Janus Youth Programs, a Portland-based nonprofit that serves kids and teens around Oregon and Washington. Program director Trina Strand said the program is in such high demand that she must turn away a new referral almost every day.

View full sizeFaith Cathcart / The Oregonian A dozen teenage boys go through the Cordero program at a time, living together for as long as two years. Program director Trina Strand says they support one another like brothers.

At any time of year, it’s a packed house. Boys cram into the dining area for meals and studying, and sometimes overflow into another room used for family counseling. There are two showers and three bedrooms. Bathroom times are staggered, and hot water is rationed. Only two of the kitchen stove’s four burners work, and those two must feed 12 teens, plus any counselors or other staff in the house.

The 89-year-old house needs constant maintenance. In 2007, Cordero and Janus Youth formed a partnership with HomeAid, a branch of Home Builders Foundation.

Janus requested a few fixes and a little more room. Rosalie Karp, advancement director for Janus Youth, said the builders’ response exceeded everyone’s expectations.

“They became so enthralled with the program that it became: ‘We don’t want to just do this small update,’” she said.

Now, a coalition of contractors is undertaking a full remodel of Cordero House. Builder co-captain Jim Feild said small fixes just aren’t enough.

“It’s like putting granite countertops on particle board cabinets,” he said. “Why would you do that?”

Days start early at Cordero. The boys wake up at 5:30 a.m., attend a full day of school, meet with counselors and therapists, do homework and enjoy some recreation time.

Strand spends her time managing the boys’ emotional progress and daily activities. She aims for open communication and accountability in the house.

“When a new client comes in, the other kids really gather around them and support them,” she said. “That’s a new experience for a lot of kids.”

The boys have issues just like brothers do, she said, but in general, they support one another like a family. Some boys even return to the house for Thanksgiving, years after they have finished the program.

They also form ties to the community. Tigard-Tualatin schools provide staffing for the alternative school the boys attend next door to Cordero House. And the Sierra Club sponsors nature excursions with the group.

When Feild, the builder co-captain, walks through Cordero House, he has a vision. More than that, in fact, he has an armful of blueprints, a following of specialty contractors and a ready handshake for any good deal.

The remodel will take at least seven months and Feild is relying on donations, in-kind labor and deep discounts.

Feild and co-captain Mike Arnett have networked deep and wide to find support for the project. If there’s a meeting, showcase, social event or conference of homebuilding professionals, Feild and Arnett are there telling Cordero’s story and generating interest.

Even during contractor walk-throughs of the house, Feild was analyzing the most affordable way to fix fire sprinkler lines, soliciting donations of fill dirt and rounding up volunteers to help with demolition.

During the project, the team will renovate the second floor to make room for two more residents, add toilets and showers, overhaul the kitchen and dining area, expand a family treatment area, add office space and update almost everything.

View full sizeFaith Cathcart / The OregonianThe Cordero House is vacant, with residents living at a center in Southeast Portland until the remodel is finished on the Tigard facility.

The boys are staying at a center in southeast Portland during the project and traveling daily to Tigard for school.

Mel Duncan, director of the Home Builders Foundation,said the team has faced financing challenges but is forging ahead.

“It’s close to their hearts,” Duncan said. “They’re appropriating a lot of resources even in this downturn because it’s really one of a kind.”

And nobody is willing to see it fail. To building designer Troy Farnsworth, economic hurdles cannot derail the project.

“We’ve already defeated that whole challenge,” he said.

Now, nail by nail, window by window, donation by donation, it’s just a matter of putting the house together, so that “the boys are living in a home instead of facility,” Duncan said.

– Ellen Gilmer

http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2009/10/tigard_home_for_troubled_boys.html

By Nicole DeCosta

The Lake Oswego Review, Dec 19, 2010 – vern uyetake / lake oswego review / west linn tidings

Troy Farnsworth, a designer involved with the architecture profession since 1979, designed this home in Beaverton for Tom and Debbie Sidley so it would be “livable for a lifetime.” With an open concept and no exterior stairs, Farnsworth said the home lives large and is easy to move around within.

 

“I don’t know why they do that. There is no need for a step to be there,” Troy Farnsworth said walking through a neighborhood in Beaverton and noting that every home on a particular cul-de-sac had stairs leading to front doors. “It could be a ramp, and by ramp I mean just a sloped walkway. The more natural you can get it to feel on the outside, the more inviting it is.”

And it’s more practical, he said.

Farnsworth, a building designer involved with the architectural profession since 1979, said that when designing homes he assesses needs for today and tomorrow so the home is “livable for a lifetime.”

“I use the term ‘livable for a lifetime’ rather than ‘aging in place,’” said Farnsworth, who began his career in California before moving to Oregon in 1993. “The Boomer generation is healthy, active and unreceptive to terms that imply that (they) are getting old.”

After implementing designs for everyone from rock diva Pat Benatar to movie stars like Nicolas Cage and hundreds of regular folks, Farnsworth said what he finds most rewarding about his job is enhancing lifestyles through “one of the best investments you can make.”

At the 2004 Street of Dreams Farnsworth unveiled his home design “The Hideaway” which showcased the value of accessible, adaptable design.

“There are a combination of things I have experienced in my lifetime, including working with special needs children and adults, friends and acquaintances with mobility challenges and caring for my aging parents,” Farnsworth said, that have led to his fascination with homes built “barrier-free.”

He said he’s noticed a “new paradigm shift” within the housing industry; more and more generations of families are sharing one household. And more and more of Farnsworth’s designs feature master suites – or two – on the main level, increased space around toilets and bathtubs and sinks with leg space beneath, which could accommodate a wheelchair or step stool.

An added bonus, he said, is that the designs needn’t resemble a nursing home, but rather, showcase modern finishes in a more spacious backdrop.

Homes can be modified to the unique needs of each living situation, such as a younger adult caring for aging parents.

“When using the tub, a transition deck adjacent to the tub makes life much easier,” Farnsworth said. “European style curbless showers have no floor level obstructions.”

Tom and Debbie Sidley of Beaverton chose Farnsworth to modify their 1989 home.

“We bought this home as a starter home, raised our family here and didn’t want to leave the neighborhood,” said Tom Sidley, who said that now that his children are grown, he wanted to modify his home for his future needs. “How do you live in this home when you’re 50, 60, 70? We needed to accommodate our needs as we (got) older.”

And the Sidleys remodel has become the talk of the neighborhood.

“People come up and tell us how much they like the design,” Debbie Sidley said, “and it’s been two years since it was finished.”

By converting a confined formal living room and dining room into an open concept that widened the Sidley’s kitchen, Farnsworth achieved easier mobility within the home. A new island configuration in the kitchen and countertop that jets off at a 45-degree angle made getting around both obstacles a breeze. A microwave, tucked within the island, is easy to get to for children or those with mobility limitations.

Extending the family room in the back of the house “to marry the outdoors in,” Farnsworth said, and adding a wall of windows and skylights above, was a way to capture views of the greenspace. The master suite, above the family room, was enlarged four feet in the back as a result. Stone details were added to the traditional two-car garage, which was also split into two garage doors for added interest.

No steps lead to the front door.

“It’s very comfortable,” Farnsworth said of the design implemented by contractors with Brittney Homes. Farnsworth has worked with contractors such as Blazer Custom Construction, Bernard Custom Construction, Centex Homes, SLS Remodel-Additions, Paul Marto Building Co., to name a few locally, and said that implementing designs that promote independent lifestyles create healthier families.

Farnsworth said that the number one feature in a “livable for a lifetime” home is a “zero-step” entryway. He said that there are a number of creative ways to eliminate stairs leading to a home, among other quick fixes.

“Lever style door handles, 36-inch wide doors throughout, backing installed in the walls during the framing stage to accommodate safety equipment (such as handrails) are just a few things that are simple to do with very little or no extra cost in comparison (to) building techniques implemented in years past,” Farnsworth said.

Many events in life are unexpected, but everyone does get older. Farnsworth suggests planning ahead to adapt homes now for changes later. If anything, Farnsworth said, “start with a bathroom.”

“Persons with mobility challenges are not limited to someone in a wheelchair or using a walker,” Farnsworth said. “It could be a young mom or dad struggling with a baby in a stroller or a teenager who broke her ankle using inline skates. (It could be) you, recovering from surgery after your accident on the ski slopes.

“‘Livable for a lifetime’ is for everyone regardless of age or physical ability.”

To reach Troy Farnsworth call 503-692-0777 or visit www.troyfarnsworth.com.

The approach is especially appealing to the boomer generation. Boomers, who hold 80 percent of the nation’s disposable wealth, like the idea of being able to stay put as they age without extensive remodeling, according to market researchers. And young families find “ease of living” features child-friendly. For builders, Universal Design increases sales and adds value without expensive upfront investment

Boomers who hold 80 percent of
the nation’s disposable wealth,
like the idea of being able to stay put
as they age without extensive remodeling.

What is Universal Design? Let’s take a look at the key features.

Design features

• Subtle accessibility features without a convalescent look
• 32 to 36 inch wide door openings can be installed for the same price as more conventional size doorways to avoid future remodeling costs
• 60 inch hallways create space and add to easier mobility
• Adjustable-height closet rods
• Master bedroom on the main floor
• Bathroom mirrors level with the countertop and windows placed 36 inches or lower will make visibility and light available to everyone
• Reinforcements strategically placed behind the walls during construction will allow for easy installation of grab bars later
• Lever door handles
• Awning or casement windows that are easy to open and close
• Low-pile carpeting
• Barrier-free design
• A decorative grab bar installed vertically beside a door

Kitchen and bathroom

• Raise the dishwasher to be usable with less bending when loading or emptying dishes
• A 29 to 30 inch high eating bar in lieu of the traditional 42 inch height
• Space under cabinets for storage of recycling bins and space for sitting when working
• Full-length cabinets and pull-out shelves and drawers offer storage at any height.
• Lever controls make handles and faucets easier to turn
• A curbless, larger shower with seating
• Conveniently located shower controls
• Adjustable shower head
• Decorative grab bars can be used as accessories for hanging towels and are stronger than traditional towel racks

With Universal Design, everyone wins. Builders offa home that is more saleable and reaps more profit for minimal investment. Homeowners gain simplicity, convenience, adaptability and safety in their day-to-day lives. They get a home that will more comfortable accommodate any family member or friend for life, regardless of their needs.

By Stacey Enesey Klemenc

A sloping walkway to the front door instead of steps is more convenient and in some cases is more economical to build. This walkway, designed by Troy Farnsworth of Troy Farnsworth Building Design and Planning, was featured in the 2003 Tour of Remodeled Homes

Universal design has been around since the early 1990s when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed requiring public spaces to be handicapped accessible. The whole concept was based on removing barriers which hindered some people’s mobility and access. Since then, the concept has slowly caught on in the residential arena. Today, people from all walks of life – from baby boomers and their parents to Gen Xers and Ys – showing an interest in “barrier-free” universal design because they like the idea of saying in a home indefinitely and “aging in place.”

“It’s all really about just being more comfortable”, says Lora Creswick, a designer in Portland who co-owns In The Works Construction & Design with her husband, Ron. “When people live in a house for a long time, they’re looking at different health situations that they may encounter whether it’s arthritis, knee problems or other physical limitations. We offer them features which make it easier to move about, reach, carry and find things throughout their whole house.”

Troy Farnsworth of Troy Farnsworth Building Design and Planning in Portland points out that the vast majority of houses and apartments built to date have the “old school” amenities influenced by century-old data based on when life expectancy was less than 50. “Today people are living well into their 80s. They’re living longer, are healthier and are enjoying ore independent lifestyles,” he says. And they’re healthy in numbers.

According to national statistics, people 50 years old or more comprise more than a third of the population and own 80 percent of discretionary income. This portion of the population is expected to double within the next 35 years.

“Typically, I ask clients how long they plan to live in their house and what their family history is in regard to health,” Farnsworth says. “Quite ofent they’re surprised [at the health question] but I bring to their attention that there may be a potential for mobility challenges. And if so, we need to approach the project from an entirely new perspective with the idea of incorporating universal design elements.”

Universal design features increase usability for everyone – young and old, with or without disabilities. Such features as low thresholds and low-pile carpeting not only make moving a wheelchair easier but are also less cumbersome for tricycles, baby strollers, movers’ dollies, handcarts and even for travelers pulling heavy suitcases, levers on doors instead of knobs can be opened with an elbow if arms are full or with an open hand if grasping is painful. Good overall lighting, especially on stairs to improve the contrast between treads and risers, makes it easier for people with impaired vision to see and improves nighttime safety and security.

Incorporating such concepts when you’re building a new home is well and good but what about those who like the homes they live in but need to make modifications if they want to stay put?

Retrofitting and redesigning an existing home tends to be expensive. It costs at least $150 to prepare the grading for a zero-step entrance to a new home, while it’d be roughly $1,000 to replace the front steps with a ramp. Wider interior doors for an entire home would add less than $100 to the total, while it runs about $700 to widen an existing doorway. It’s only a few bucks to add blocking for future grab bars in open bathroom walls but it costs a whole heck of a lot more if you had to rip the walls appart to do so. The list goes on and on.

In the long  run, whether it’s for current residents or future homeowners, it makes “good cents” to suggest incorporating universal design features into a remodeling plan. And unlike what some may believe, the features are quite pleasing, fit right into today’s open floor plans and are a boon to resale value when the time comes.

I

“If you use the term ADA-compliant or handicap accessible, the homeowner visualizes something very institutional but it’s not. We’re more interested in helping people adjust their homes to fit their lifestyles as they change. We help them stay in their own home and avoid the expense of moving,” Creswick says.

Regardless of the name – ease of living, universal design, ADA-compliant – here are some “aging in place” concepts to consider during your next remodel:

Equipping the kitchen

In the kitchen, both Creswick and Farnsworth like to incorporate “more drawers than doors,” Farnsworth says. “They’re much more convenient for storage and access.”

The biggest hurdle to drawers, Creswick points out, is to get people to rethink where things go in a kitchen and to realize where things go in a kitchen and to realize plates and cups don’t have to go into a wall cabinet. “Older homes have too many places for things to get lost in, like corner cabinets where you have to get on your hands and knees and halfway crawl in to find something,” Creswick says, who does her share of restaurant remodeling. “Everything should have its own place be readily accessible.” If a drawer won’t fit into a design, she recommends a pull-out shelf.

Rather than installing a microwave high over a range, Creswick likes to locate the lower to make it within easy reach for children who want to fix a snack. This also makes the oven reachable from a seated position.

Farnsworth’s designs usually include a pass-through countertop from kitchen to dining room to save on walking, built-in cutting boards adjacent to staging areas such as the oven and refrigerator, and the range or cooktop in the same strip as the sink for ease of cooking.

“Whenevr applicable, if I have enough area for a kitchen island or peninsula with an eat-in bar I hold the bar at a 30 inch height to allow for standard chairs. It’s harder to climb up on a bar stool and it provides for accessibility as well,” Farnsworth says.

Creswick, who also includes different height countertops in her designs, notes “Laminates are often the best choice for countertops.” They’re not only economical but they are easy to clean and more “forgiving” than tile and granite. The latter “have no bounce,” she points out.

The eyes have it

In both the kitchen and bath, Creswick encourages the use of countertops with a darker contrasting color around the edge. It not only looks good, she maintains, but it makes it easier to distinguish where the counter ends.

Both Farnsworth and Creswick ephasize that good lighting is essential. Most people who have hit the 40 year milestone can relate to this: Be sure there is ample task lighting to properly illuminate those pesky cooking directions that seem to be printed small every year.

Lights controlled by dimmer swithches, Creswick adds, not only sheds more light when needed but they can be used to create different moods within spaces.

Outfitting the bath

Farnsworth and Creswick both stress the importance of lever-operated faucets – “those ball types are hard for everybody to use, especially when they’re wet,” says Creswick – and large roll-in showers.

“One thing we like to do is take out the bathtub and put in a shower without a threshold,” says Creswick. She also likes to include a handheld shower and a temperature-balance valve.

If there’s a soaking tub, Farnsworth recommends providing extra decking at one end to make it easier to get in and out. He also likes to mount the plumbing fixtures on the outside edge of the tub, rather than at the short end or on the wall, to allow for easier access.

And if a client isn’t interested in installing grab bars during a bathroom remodel at least insist on putting blocking in the walls to “future proof ” for bars later.

Make sure your designs measure up

In short:

• When redesigning a kitchen, allow at least 42 inches between countertops so someone can navigate in a wheelchair

• Make hallways a minimum of 4 feet wide

• Doorways should be 3 feet wide, Farnsworth says. “Most manufacturers charge the same amount of money for a 3 foot door as a 30 inch door. The extra width no only allows for a wheelchair but it’s also more convenient for moving furniture.”

• Put diagonal doorways into adjacent rooms off of a hallway vs. 90 degree corners for extra maneuverability

• Install electrical outlets 18-20 inches off the floor and light switches between 40-44 inches off the floor to make both more convenient to all

• Install two sinks in the master bath, with one sink at a 30 inch height with leg space below and a mirror above that extends to the countertop. This setup is ideal for both a wheelchair and a lady sitting down to apply her makeup.

• Install ADA- compliant toilets, which are about 17-18 inches tall depending on the manufacturer

The above suggestions are just a smidgen of universal design elements that could be incorporated into the next remodeling project. With just a little bit of thought, planning and awareness, universal design can be luxurious and transparent to everyone but the end user.

Troy Farnsworth has been redefining the true meaning of fine home design his entire career and one thing has not changed: his firm belief that the environment in which we live in should compliment our needs and desires. The end result is one that his clients are completely satisfied with indefinitely!” I truly believe that each and every person has their own specific needs for a space that best suites their personality”. The end result is a design in which every one is satisfied.

Farnsworth grew up in a home that supported each one of his siblings as well as himself to express their gifts and talents without interruption. At times when other boys and girls were outdoors playing Troy would be inside working diligently on his latest creation on paper. With top grades in drafting and Architectural classes throughout his school years he soon found a opportunity to work for one of the largest Design / Build companies in California. Eager to continue his “hands on” education, Troy went to work for one the most prestigious Architectural firms in Southern California. Within the 8 years he participated as part of the Design Team he had the opportunity to work on Luxury Homes for a number of exclusive clients including celebrities from the acting profession and world of music ! Moving on, Troy found himself working for a partnership of Architects that provided even more exciting projects including one plan in particular he keeps in his office that was designed for a actor who is well known for starring in movies like “Ghost Rider”, “Con Air”, “National Treasure” and a number of others.

Farnsworth’s transitional style enables him to offer a variety of Architectural Designs including those with a European influence, Modern Contemporary, Traditional etc… “Having the opportunity to start my career in a place with as large of a Architectural variety as Southern California, this gives me an advantage over those who are confined to designs that are governed by weather or other restrictions”.

Farnsworth emphasizes on listening to the client and working closely with them to delivery what they want. ” Most of my clients are now personal friends and I prefer to cultivate those types of relationships when the client reciprocates. It’s always about the customer, the service and the quality.” From our Luxury Home clients to those who have commissioned us to provide design services for smaller projects, each and every one deserves the attention to detail as the next.

“I thoroughly enjoy what I do to maintain my livelihood and plan to continue until the end of time.”