Cedar siding, carefully placed windows, and layered roof forms translate the logic of the forest canopy into architecture.

LIGHTWELL

A home shaped by the logic of the forest canopy, where sight, structure, and shafts of light create a network of connection for deaf clients who required open lines of sight for communication,

Inspired by the forest canopy, the house uses light, sight, and structure to create a network of visual connection reaching from the forest to the lake beyond.

QUIET PHENOMENA

natural forces that shaped this project

Quiet Phenomena icon exploring vertical daylight, bringing sunlight deep into architecture through lightwells and carefully framed openings.
Quiet Phenomena icon inspired by plants growing toward light, informing window placement, orientation, and natural daylight in custom homes.
Quiet Phenomena icon encouraging awareness of the sky, inspiring skylights, framed views, and vertical connections to nature.
Quiet Phenomena icon exploring the horizon as inspiration for long views, proportion, and the relationship between architecture and landscape.
Quiet Phenomena icon inspired by canyon landscapes, shaping narrow passages, vertical light, and dramatic spatial compression in architecture.

Designed for a deaf client, the house takes inspiration from the forest canopy surrounding it — a network defined not by sound, but by light, movement, and visual connection. The elevated interior walkway acts like a branch within this canopy, allowing communication across spaces while overlooking the double-height living area below. A series of skylights and high windows create architectural “light wells,” drawing the forest’s shifting illumination deep into the heart of the home. Cedar siding anchors the building within its woodland setting, while expansive glazing opens the interior toward the lake beyond, blending forest, light, and life into a continuous field of awareness.

Modern cedar-clad Lightwell House with tall windows and forest setting overlooking a lake.
Interior bridge beneath a skylight bringing daylight into the double-height living space and allowing sign language communication between the living floor and bedrooms above.
Skylight and clerestory windows creating a lightwell above the central living space.
Side elevation of the cedar-clad home surrounded by mature trees.
Rear elevation showing cedar siding, carefully placed windows, and woodland setting.
View from the upper walkway overlooking the foyer and open living spaces below.
Vertical wood screen separating circulation while maintaining visual connection.
Large window reflecting surrounding trees in the cedar-clad exterior wall.
Deep roof overhang and cedar siding detail protecting the exterior walls.
End elevation of the home with cedar siding and carefully positioned windows.
Section drawing illustrating daylight penetration and open interior volumes.
Ground floor plan showing the organization of living spaces.
Upper floor plan showing circulation and bedroom layout.

PROJECT SPECS AND WRAP UP

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A weathered steel and wood canopy creates an architectural ecotone — a transition zone where inside and outside blur and overlap.