Constraints

The black flies were thick. I spent most of the site visit swatting instead of listening as Ken described the history of the dam that once spanned this stretch of the Crooked River.

The flies didn’t appear to bother him. His enthusiasm for the wall he wanted me to build seemed to keep them at bay, but it couldn’t solve his real problem: budget. Money for the project was tight. But what he did have was a haul of beautiful granite salvaged from the demolished dam, and the willingness to let the wall become whatever those stones and the budget allowed.

Instead of a conventional dry laid stone wall, I designed one with openings and gaps between the stones. The road-facing side is carefully fitted, with pretty faces and tight joints. The back is more raw, more utilitarian. It’s not a recreation of the dam, but it hints at it. It keeps some of the history alive.

It’s not the wall I would have designed with unlimited resources. I’m glad Ken brought more enthusiasm than budget.