Home Plan Detail
Sky High
By: Dale Mulfinger
SALA Architects Inc.
Specifications
Square Footage
Total living area: 1152' Basement: 0' First Level:239' Second Level:337' Third Level:337' Fourth Level:239' Footprint: 21' 9" W x 21' 9" DRooms
Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 3.0 Master suite location: Upper FloorAttributes
Levels: 4 Foundation: Slab Lot type(s):Features
- Tower Design
- Small Footprint
- Wood Floors
- Abundant Light
Description
One of our most unique designs, Sky High was originally built on an island with a series of other small cabins. At this home's densely wooded original location, vegetation effectively hid views of a beautiful lake. The solution was a home with a tiny footprint and an elevated "tree house" design. Incorporating a total of 4 levels, the upper 3 levels are designed to be above visual obstructions, and to take advantage of views in multiple directions.
Nothing about this fire tower shaped design is like your ordinary 3 bed, 3 bath house. Rather than rooms and spaces normally adjacent to one another as in most homes, they have been stacked on top of each other. The first, second and fourth levels are the home's bedrooms. The kitchen, dining and living area has been placed high to take advantage of views from the third level, though the most spectacular views have been reserved for the fourth level master suite. Each bedroom has been designed so that it may be closed off from the common stair and hall areas, and each has its own full bath, allowing them to function as their own private retreats. The second level bedroom can even be built with its own small kitchen if desired, so that it may be used as a private apartment or in-law unit.
A big consideration in rooms with such a small footprint, is that normal height or vaulted ceilings would actually make the walls seem close in, and the rooms would feel small and cramped. Instead, the bottom of the ceiling's widely spaced exposed 4x8 wooden beams have been intentionally lowered to just over 7 feet, in order to make the rooms feel deeper and wider than they really are. The wood tongue-and-groove boards used for all the floors in the home, thus become the approximately 8 foot wood ceiling deck of the level below. The effect gives every level of the home the warm cozy feel of an independent cabin.
The home's tall fire tower like design makes it an obvious choice for many wooded locations. However, it's narrow footprint also makes it a good choice for many narrow lot, beach or waterfront situations where an elevated view is also desirable.
Floor Plans
