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!
52 Reasons to Love Lake Oswego 
Just found out tonight through a fellow homeowner who is an architect that our Lake Oswego Village Condos is a Richard Sundeleaf design. I’ve lived hear 20 years when the condos were apartments and always knew this place was special. Our remarkable God, history, people like Richard are the soul of our city.
Thanks for pointing that out, Anne. He definitely left his mark on our town.