Cascade Lake House

Lakeshore in the Cascade Mountain Range. The site was selected for its unique character, year around recreation and proximity to Seattle. The topography is extremely steep. Sloping down continuously from the road to the water, the site drops 54 feet over 126 feet in distance. The average winter snowfall is ten feet. Most of the adjacent shoreline is crowded with tall fir and cedar trees, with the exception of a few developed lots that have cleared virtually all trees. This project uses trees as a spatial asset, not a view obstruction. Instead of clear cutting trees, the house positions occupyable spaces high in the tree branches, allowing a line of trees to be a thin, selectively pruned veil between the house and lake