(Updated 2/13/2023)
The homeowners weren’t aware of the term “Parkitecture.” It’s a unique term used to describe homes designed and built patterned after National Parks. “Parkitecture” homes are true to the manner of the environment, using materials that are rustic and natural, with interiors that utilize an abundance of natural timbers. This seems to be the perfect description of this three-story home built two miles west of Traverse City on the highest, most densely tree-covered hilltop, also known as Radio Hill. “From the top floor looking out, the trees are so close you feel as if you are in them,” share the homeowners.
The home, which appears smaller than it actually is, integrates linear elegance, rustic flavor, and European flair. The homeowner shares, “Most people come in and are surprised at how the space, totaling 5,000 square feet, is used.”
Builder Chris Mason of Lakeshore Custom Homes, describes the home as “rustic elegance.” Copper gutters, a custom-domed entry door, and log railings accented with iron detailing showcase the exterior elegance.
Attention to Details
After extensive travels in Europe and developing a fondness for the architectural interest of domed entrance doors, it became a must for this country dream home.
The homeowner and his father built the door that layers top and bottom Douglas fir over ¾-inch plywood. A heavy-duty door jamb was made to match. The rivets were purchased from a hardware store in Austria.
The challenge of this spectacular site, with its five acres of pines and hardwoods, was the driveway and maintaining as many as trees as possible. The drive takes a 90-degree turn at the bottom of the hill. To make the drive safe and user-friendly during the winter months when it is covered with ice and snow, a two track was added as a safety measure at the curve to prevent any slide-offs.
The owners give Mason credit as a master builder and master craftsman. They boast the fact he is on the building site every day and adapts easily to making the unexpected changes that are required in using unique building materials. For example, there were no specs for the rough-sawn cedar timbers and beams. Instead, the homeowners described what they wanted, and Mason was able to create, to a tee, what they described.
Because the lower level ash timbers didn’t have the manufacturer’s prefabricated stamp required by law to meet building requirements, the building inspector wouldn’t give his approval. An engineer’s approval was needed for them to pass inspection. “He told us the timbers would hold up three houses the same size,” shares the homeowner.
The respect for nature is also displayed in the home’s wood floor, constructed of simple-styled maple boards hand nailed with exposed square head nails, along with its pine and cedar walls and ceilings.
According to Mason, the finished product has an element of surprise and a grand flourish of style. “I have built rustic homes and elegant homes, but this is the first to combine elements of both styles. I have to say, it worked amazingly well.”
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A primary endeavor I was given working on this home was to preserve and refresh the existing beadboard cabinets, replicate them, adding additional beadboard cabinets in the same room. Attention to detail was of utmost importance as the room needed to look uniform. This required excellent finish carpentry skills.