Well, you make of it what you will.
Go figure. Each one of them made for himself a 1 500-square-foot, three-story wood-and-glass contemporary houses, located as closed as they could.
The tall, rectangular-shaped twin houses, each with three bedrooms and 2½ bathrooms, are separated by about 30 feet-close enough that the occupants can see into each other's windows. It's like a modern version of "The Odd Couple", says Corey Martin, who designed the project with architect Ben Kaiser of Portland-based PATH Architecture. "On some level, it's every guy's dream. They get their freedom but they're not doing it alone. There's built-in camaraderie."
So far, the Zehetbauer and Wardlaw say their arrangement is working well. They have dinner a couple of nights a week. They share an Internet account. They still go skiing, camping, biking and hiking together. "I know when Ted is home, who is going in and out of his house, which lights are on, what he is up to," says Mr. Zehetbauer. "It's companionship. Other people come and go. The only constant is Roland," adds Mr. Wardlaw. They share the outdoor space and are currently planning a vegetable garden together.
This a friendship to pay respect. It has survived two divorces. Mr. Wardlaw separated from his wife in 2008 and moved to a rental. Mr. Zehetbauer separated from his wife in 2009 but was still living with her when he found the 6,250-square-foot lot in an urban, increasingly gentrified neighborhood in the Northeast section of downtown Portland. He bought it in 2009 for $155,000, initially planning to build three houses and sell or rent the other two. But when he mentioned the idea to Mr. Wardlaw, they decided to build together, settling on two homes for financial reasons.
