You can get a glimpse into the design genius of Richard Sundeleaf by buying tickets to the Oswego Heritage Council’s 5th annual Lake Oswego Historic Home Tour featuring six Sundeleaf-designed Lake Oswego homes and their gardens on Saturday, May 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are limited so visit their website.- Sundeleaf was a Duck, graduating from the School of Architecture in 1923.
- Seven of the houses he designed have been designated Local Landmarks, with one on The National Register of Historic Places.
- Luckily for us, Sundeleaf had a mind of his own and didn’t listen to his first boss who told him, “Give up architecture…You’re not cut out for it.”
- He was an entrepreneur, opening his own firm just five years after getting his degree.
- Looks like his penchant for design was genetic—his granddaughter, Hilary Mackenzie has her own architectural firm in Portland.
- The man was prolific. He took on more than 100 projects just in Lake Oswego.
- He was a local boy, moving to Lake Oswego in 1949, and continuing to call it home until his death in 1987.
- The man was versatile. His own residence reflects an English cottage style. The Sieberts House which he designed on Greentree Road was described in a newspaper article as a “miniature Timberline Lodge.” The Coleman House on Palisades Terrace was done in a Mediterranean style.
- He didn’t just design homes. Local commercial buildings with the Sundeleaf legacy include the Lake Theatre and the Adult Community Center.
Give a shout-out for your favorite Sundeleaf design here in Lake Oswego!
