The Aubrey R. Watzek House is located in Portland's west side
Sylvan-Highlands neighborhood, in a bend of SW Skyline Boulevard between SW Barnes Road and SW Fairview Boulevard. The property affords expansive views to the north, east, and south, including views of
Mount Hood. The house is a single-story gable-roofed wood-frame structure, with a U-shaped configuration around a central courtyard. It presents a deceptively modest entrance area to the arriving visitor, with the main entrance set in an otherwise blank wall. The entry opens to the courtyard, which is a garden space with a small pool, and then into a narrow hall from which the rest of the house is gradually revealed. The living room and dining room are sited to provide maximum exposure to the views. Aubrey Watzek was a lumber magnate, who commissioned
John Yeon, then a young architect, to design a house for himself and his mother. Yeon completed the design in 1936, but Watzek initially rejected it. After working for a time with another architect at A.E. Doyle, he accepted Yeon's design. The house was completed in 1937. Watzek lived in the house until his death in January 1973. The house received immediate notice after its construction, and was included in an architectural exhibition organized by the
Museum of Modern Art. Yeon purchased the house after Watzek's death, and it was subsequently taken over by the
University of Oregon. It is open for group tours, day meetings, and other special events. ==See also==