Glen Lake Tower
Glen Lake Tower Traverse City, MI | 2.5 acres | 1,400 square feet
High on a wooded hilltop above a lake in Michigan, the Glen Lake Tower is the result of an inspired collaboration between the designers, clients with a passion for architecture as well as their site, and a skilled local contractor. Directed to create “a sustainable retreat that reflects the timeless beauty and simple comforts of the area,” the architects responded by raising the primary living space above the dense surrounding woods in order to gain light, air and views of Glen Lake and Lake Michigan beyond. Two fin-like, metal-clad walls rise from the crown of the hill to support a three-story plywood box suspended a full story above grade. As intricately detailed steel stairs climb the tower, they move from exterior to interior and from more enclosed to more open spaces, culminating in a breathtaking, glass-wrapped kitchen/ living/dining space at the fourth level. Here, thirty feet above the ground, the clients may enjoy views of the landscape they love from the birch-lined interior or expansive decks.
night approach
driveway approach
south corner
entry deck
west corner
master bedroom
north corner
view to the west
treetop view
living/dining view to glen lake
living
stair
stair
vicinity plan
0'
50'
100'
site plan
4
2
A
5
A
2
A
A
1 6
3 3
level 1
level 2
4
4 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
carport storage dumb waiter deck mudroom guest bed/office master bedroom bath living kitchen/dining
7
A
A
3
A
A
3 8
level 3
10
level 4
A-A section view diagram
southeast elevation
southwest elevation
High on a wooded hilltop above a lake in Michigan, the Glen Lake Tower is the result of an inspired collaboration between the designers, clients with a passion for architecture as well as their site, and a skilled local contractor. Directed to create “a sustainable retreat that reflects the timeless beauty and simple comforts of the area,” the architects responded by raising the primary living space above the dense surrounding woods in order to gain light, air and views of Glen Lake and Lake Michigan beyond. Two fin-like, metal-clad walls rise from the crown of the hill to support a three-story plywood box suspended a full story above grade. As intricately detailed steel stairs climb the tower, they move from exterior to interior and from more enclosed to more open spaces, culminating in a breathtaking, glass-wrapped kitchen/ living/dining space at the fourth level. Here, thirty feet above the ground, the clients may enjoy views of the landscape they love from the birch-lined interior or expansive decks.
night approach
driveway approach
south corner
entry deck
west corner
master bedroom
north corner
view to the west
treetop view
living/dining view to glen lake
living
stair
stair
vicinity plan
0'
50'
100'
site plan
4
2
A
5
A
2
A
A
1 6
3 3
level 1
level 2
4
4 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
carport storage dumb waiter deck mudroom guest bed/office master bedroom bath living kitchen/dining
7
A
A
3
A
A
3 8
level 3
10
level 4
A-A section view diagram
southeast elevation
southwest elevation
