Bill Gates faced an ‘owl crisis’ building Xanadu 2.0, spent millions on timber

When Bill Gates started constructing his Median estate, famously known as Xanadu 2.0, in 1990, he encountered an unexpected challenge: the northen spotted owl crises. The mansion, designed in Pacific Lodge style and sprawling across 66,000 square feet, was initially planned to use old‑growth timber. But with the owl listed as a threatened species, America banned the use of wood from old‑growth habitats. Architect James Cutler, known for his environmental stance, also opposed felling living old‑growth trees.Instead of pushing through, Gates compromised. He funded what Cutler described as the world’s first heavy‑timber‑recycling sawmill, sourcing reclaimed wood through Ferndale‑based G.R. Plume & Company. Half a million board feet of salvaged Douglas fir beams from Long‑Bell Lumber Company’s 1920s sheds in Longview, Washington, were repurposed for the mansion.