Tower House

This small vacation house is designed as a stairway to the treetops. Keeping the footprint to a minimum so as not to disturb the wooded site, each of the first three floors has only one small bedroom and bath, each a tiny private suite.

The top floor, which contains the living spaces, spreads out from the tower like the surrounding forest canopy, providing views of the lake and mountains in the distance, virtually the entire Catskill mountain range. An outdoor roof terrace deck above extends the living space above the treetops, offering a stunning lookout to the deep view. The glass-enclosed stair also highlights the procession from forest floor to treetop aerie. At dusk, mini lights dotting the cable rail of the stair mimic local fireflies sparkling in the woods as day turns to dark. The dark green, back-painted glass exterior camouflages the house by reflecting the surrounding woods, de-materializing its form.

While the house is heated conventionally, by compressing and stacking all the wet zones of the house into an insulated central core, much of the house can be “turned off” in the winter when not in use, resulting in a 49% reduction in energy use. In the summertime, the house is comfortable without air conditioning. Cool air is drawn in and through the house using the stack effect. South-facing glass throughout the stairwell creates a solar chimney and as the heated air rises, it is exhausted out the top and fresh air enters the house from the cooler north side.