As you might expect, the idea to form Sunlight Holding Company—what has become the city’s oldest cohousing community—emerged among friends during a potluck in 1976. The group wanted to pool some resources (why have 15 lawnmowers when you could share one?) and be more frugal with others; both energy efficiency and passive solar design were part of those early discussions. One participant described the group as “a bunch of people who were looking for something fun to do.”

They found 15 acres along SW Barnes Road, a quick trip up West Burnside from Northwest 23rd Avenue. It was a site in the trees but with a good amount of southern exposure for the passive solar heating they sought. Fifteen homes and a community center were eventually built, alongside shared gardens, a children’s playground, and an octagonal treehouse, all in a park-like setting with a creek running through it.

Two architects, Bill Church and John Maslen, contributed designs that the owners were welcome to modify. Today, the homes’ shed roofs, organic angled shapes, and weathered cedar board-and-batten exteriors give the community a distinct Sea Ranch feel even amid the Oregon woods. (Indeed, that 1960s California coast architecture was an inspiration.)

This house currently on the market originally belonged to Church and his wife, Barbara, who were founding members. The home’s angles and roof line follow the downward slope of the land, with the open living spaces clustered at one end under a vaulted ceiling, and the three bedrooms and two baths tucked uphill. Skylights and high windows bring in plenty of daylight throughout, as do the oversize sliding-glass doors that connect the living room to a double-height solarium, a key component for collecting winter heat that also sports a colorful mural. An exterior wall filled with windows has double glass doors that open to the deck and trees.

Since being completed in 1979, there have been many updates to the home, including finishes and fixtures in the kitchen and bathrooms—from backsplash tile, counters, and flooring to the addition of glass-enclosed showers and a primary soaking tub. The stepped layout encourages cross breezes to flow through and affords lofts in two of the bedrooms. One of these is in the primary suite, where a built-in bed is positioned below a skylight and another set of glass doors accesses a hot tub on an enclosed deck.

For reasons of banks and bureaucracy, the cohousing community is incorporated as a homeowner association and legally structured as a condominium. That means there’s a monthly HOA fee of $350 to cover maintenance of the shared grounds and community center. The latter has a tool library, workout room, yoga classes, and free quarters for residents’ guests to stay. It’s also where the monthly community potluck meets these days.

Listing Fast Facts 

• Address: 6454 SW Barnes Rd, Portland, OR 97221
• Size: 1,461 square feet/3 bedroom/2 bath 
• List Date: 6/27/2024 
• List Price: $697,000, with $350/month HOA dues 
• Listing Agent: Gabrielle Enfield at Working Magic Group, Living Room Realty