News & Resources

Portland, Oregon
May 5-7, 2023

The Conservancy’s spring tour program will celebrate the natural beauty and organic architecture of Portland, Oregon, and the Willamette Valley. Tours will include the Gordon House — Wright’s only work in the state — and designs by Taliesin apprentice Allen Lape “Davy” Davison, modernist Pietro Belluschi, contemporary organic architect Robert Oshatz & more!

The itinerary remains under active development. Additional tours may be announced. All tours and programs are subject to change.

This year’s tours may include walks of up to a quarter mile on hilly and uneven terrain.

Online registration will open to Conservancy members at the Benefactor level & above via email on February 6, and to all Conservancy members via email on February 13. Join or renew your membership for early access and member rates. Any remaining spaces will be made available to the public via this page on February 20. If you have questions or require assistance registering, email [email protected] or call us at 312.663.5500. It is anticipated that AIA credits will be available.

Please note: The Sunday add-on tour is currently waitlisted pending final confirmation of capacity. Please fill out this form if you would like to be placed on the waitlist for Sunday.

For their assistance in planning this event, the Conservancy would like to thank the staff and board of the Gordon House Conservancy.

Our main tour day will begin in Portland before making the one hour drive down the Willamette Valley to Silverton. Tours sites will include:

• Zion Lutheran Church: Pre-eminent twentieth-century modernist Pietro Belluschi used local materials and influences to create this outstanding 1948  example of Northwest Regional Modernism.
• Portland Japanese Garden: The 2017 Cultural Village complex, set in Portland’s renowned Japanese Garden, is by the award-winning Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who continues his practice of interpreting traditional Japanese building traditions for the 21^st  century.
• Gordon House: This 1956 house by Frank Lloyd Wright was saved by local preservationists, working with the Building Conservancy. To avoid imminent demolition it was relocated to the Oregon Garden, over 40 miles away from its original site near Portland, and beautifully restored.

After tours, we will enjoy a reception at the Gordon House before returning to Portland for dinner on your own. Buses depart from the hotel around 9 a.m. and return by 6 p.m. Lunch on the bus and the reception at the Gordon House are included in registration.

Each participating household will receive a complimentary copy of The Gordon House: A Moving Experience, the book about the relocation of the Gordon House by Larry Woodin.

Members at the Leadership Circle level and above and Conservancy board members are invited to a dinner reception at the Burkes-Belluschi House (Pietro Belluschi, 1948). Hosts Tony and Marti Belluschi have restored the home, which was originally designed by Tony’s father for his own family. They have also added a guest house to the property which we will be able to see.

Round-trip transportation from the hotel provided. Reception is from 6 to 8 p.m.

Please note: The Sunday add-on tour is currently waitlisted pending final confirmation of capacity. Please fill out this form if you would like to be placed on the waitlist for Sunday.

We’ll ascend into the hillier parts of the Portland area to tour at least three remarkable homes and one unique chapel:

• Grube House:  Designed by the late German-born Portland architect, Joachim Grube, for his own family in 1966, on a steep and wooded lot shared with the family of his colleague, architect Richard Campbell.
• Oshatz House: Organic architect Robert Oshatz’s own 1989 house is a sophisticated example of his goal to create a built form that develops from the characteristics of its site. Dramatically perched on a hill, the home contains many models of the architect’s other projects.
• Taylor House: Still owned by its original client Carson Taylor, who will welcome us, this 1973 house is by one of Wright’s early, trusted apprentices, Allen Lape “Davy” Davison.
• Agnes Flanagan Chapel at Lewis & Clark College: In this conical 1968 building with organ pipes dramatically suspended in the center, architect Paul Thiry incorporates a strong Northwest Coast Native influence, including sculpted figures which combine Christian and Native American symbolism.

Buses will depart the hotel around 9 a.m., make a stop at the airport no later than 4 p.m., and then return to the hotel. Lunch is included. Please note that capacity is limited for this tour day and it may sell out before the main event does; a waitlist will be kept.

All tours depart from and return to the Hampton Inn & Suites Portland-Pearl District (354 NW 9th Ave). Event registrants stay at the special group rate of $154 per night, with complimentary breakfast.  Booking instructions will be included in your registration confirmation email.

Rates

May 6 Main Event: $350 members ($400 nonmembers)

Add-on Events:
May 5 Leadership Circle Dinner: $75 for members at the Leadership Circle level & above
May 7 Portland Tour: $250 members ($300 nonmembers)

Registration Notes

Rates are per person. Meals are only included as noted in the schedule. Main event registration is required to attend add-on events. Maximum of two attendees per registration. Friend-level members may only register a single attendee at the member rate. Space is limited and waitlists will be kept for the main event and add-ons. Each participating household will receive one copy of The Gordon House: A Moving Story upon check-in. Registrants are required to agree to the policies listed below on this page.

All tours and programs are subject to change. It is anticipated that AIA credits will be available. If you have questions or require assistance registering, email [email protected] or call us at 312.663.5500.

Key Dates

• February 6: Registration opens to Conservancy members at the Benefactor level & above and Board members, who will receive the link via email.
• February 13: Registration opens to all Conservancy members, who will receive the link via email.
• February 20: Registration will open to the general public if capacity remains. The registration link will become available on this page.
• April 13: Deadline to book a hotel stay at our special group rate. Booking instructions are included in your confirmation email.
• April 21: Deadline to cancel registration and receive a refund.

COVID-19 General Disclaimer & Safety Policies

The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy (FLWBC) is committed to the health and safety of event participants, staff and others with whom we will come in contact. This event will follow current legal mandates, guidance and safety protocols for preventing the spread of COVID-19 issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and relevant state and local authorities. We reserve the right to determine and enforce additional reasonable health and safety requirements at our discretion, and we will abide by the requirements of all venues visited during the event. We may need to alter the itinerary at any time based on new information, public health guidance or requirements, or the ability of specific venues to participate.

In order to attend, individuals must test negative for COVID-19 within 24 hours prior to check-in. We suggest using a rapid self-test. Results may be photographed alongside a photo ID, provided the timestamp of the photo can be shown. You may also test immediately before check-in and show the physical result.

By registering for and participating in this event, you agree to the following:

• You acknowledge that your participation in this event is entirely voluntary, and that you are aware of the possibly significant risks, both apparent and hidden, that may present themselves at public gatherings.
• You acknowledge the ongoing and evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and voluntarily assume any and all risk you incur by attending this event.
• You agree to follow rules set forth by the FLWBC, bus operators, private homes, hotels and public venues, and to abide by instructions at all times regarding COVID-19 safety protocols.
• You understand that protocols and guidance are constantly evolving and the Conservancy may elect to enforce physical distancing and the wearing of non-vented face coverings that cover both mouth and nose (when not eating or drinking) at any time during the event. The exact degree of precautionary measures needed may not be known far in advance, but all participants will be expected to comply.
• You understand that, during indoor tours and on buses while not eating or drinking, properly wearing a non-vented mask will be mandatory.
• Refusal to comply with clearly-communicated health and safety instructions will result in your removal from the event, with no refund, and may affect your eligibility to participate in future FLWBC events.
• Upon check-in, you will need to show a negative result from a COVID-19 test administered no more than 24 hours prior to the start of the event. Documents will be reviewed but not retained by the Conservancy. Rapid self-test results may be photographed alongside a photo ID, provided the timestamp of the photo can be shown, or the physical test result may be shown in person (in which case it must have been taken immediately before checking in). Failure to present a negative COVID test result will lead to being turned away, with no refund of registration fees or incurred travel expenses.

Cancellation Policy

The Conservancy reserves the right to cancel this event at any time if we feel that it cannot be held safely, for any reason including but not limited to current COVID-19 health metrics and guidance. In this case, the Conservancy would refund participants the cost of their registration, including any add-on events, but will not be responsible for any other costs incurred as a result of our decision to cancel the event.

Registrants may cancel through April 21 for a full refund. Cancellations after April 21 will not receive a refund. Email [email protected] or call 312.663.5500 to cancel your registration.

Attendees may wish to consider purchasing travel insurance, which may reimburse certain costs in the event that the event is canceled or you are unable to participate. The Conservancy does not recommend any specific insurer or insurance product, and is not able to provide guidance.

Photography and Video

By attending this event, you may be included in photography and video recordings that may be used for the Conservancy’s educational or marketing purposes. Photography by participants is generally allowed, but might be restricted or prohibited at the request of specific venues.

Physical Condition Considerations & Transportation

Tour attendees may encounter and must be capable of boarding coach buses, walking through tight spaces, up staircases without handrails, and on steep hills and unpaved surfaces with no assistance. Private properties featured on our tours are not subject to ADA requirements.

Transportation is provided for all tours and events unless otherwise noted. Attendees are not permitted to drive themselves to tours for which transportation is provided.

Liability Waiver

By registering for this event you consent to the following: “In consideration of my admission to the properties toured through the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy (FLWBC), I agree to waive, release, hold harmless and indemnify FLWBC and the owners, operators, members, officers, directors, trustees, agents, successors and assigns, of the FLWBC and each and every house, site and entity included in the conference, including any announced changes, from any and all claims, injuries, causes of action, demands, costs, liability and/or harm of any kind that I may have or may acquire against each of them as a result of my participation in this event.”