The house known as Mosier Elements, perched above that Gorge hamlet, owes its origins to parents, its eventual form to retirement planning. “Both our fathers were architects,” says Chris Cocker, a 62-year-old urban planner. “The house is sort of an ode to both of them.” (The other party: Debra Ames, a marketer for design and engineering firms, also 62.) A property ripe with birding, hiking, and gazing possibilities became available; the Portland couple connected with Daniel Kaven of Portland architecture firm William Kaven, who matched their modernist leanings.

The build-out, finished five years ago, featured adventures and victories—sourcing Minerit siding at a relative bargain, then navigating delivery, for example. “Things ... happen when you’re building a house,” says Cocker. “It takes a person who’s into detail.”

As work and life rolled on, the couple has rented the place out, short-term and long-term, and used it as a getaway. All that, however, is just a bridge to living there full-time once they retire. “It’s definitely designed for us,” Cocker says. “It was a chance to do something special. ”