a tent-inspired retreat in washington’s methow valley lives gently on the land

A light in the forest

story by Christine Deorio photography by steve Keating

architecture by BalanCe assoCiates arChiteCts

by siting the cabin between the trees, as he would a tent, architect

tom lenchek was able to avoid altering the rolling, forested

landscape. the structure, which rests atop a platform supported by

concrete piers, “appears to be a glass box,” lenchek says, “but the

majority of the windows are con-centrated in the main living area.”

a footbridge built from framing lumber, plumbing pipe and trex decking leads to a hill that’s the

owners’ favorite spot on the site.

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When a family of four from Portland, Oregon, discovered this bit of land sandwiched between North Cascades Na-tional Park, the Sawtooth Wilderness and the Pasayten Wilderness in Washington’s Methow Valley, they fell in love with its rolling hills, towering trees and its location just a few strides from the country’s largest cross-country ski trail net-work. For several years, the family returned here to camp, each time envisioning a more permanent home base for their adventures. At last, they were ready to build.

When architect Tom Lenchek first visited the site, he was drawn to two little hills. “One was kind of rocky and the other one was nice and had grass growing on it,” he recalls. “I went over to the grassy one and said, ‘This would be a great spot for the house.’ But my client said, ‘No! This is where we hang out. We don’t want a house here.’ So we built on the rocky hill.”

The architect and homeowners agreed not to modify the rolling topography any more than necessary, so Lenchek en-visioned the house as a tent, which he “dropped in between the nicest trees” and built atop a platform supported by con-crete piers. The main entrance is located on one side of the structure. On the other side, a deck cantilevered some 20 feet above the ground offers sweeping views of the forest. Connected to that deck is one of the home’s most striking features: a 60-foot-long footbridge that leads from the house to the owners’ favorite grassy rise.

“It was a budget-driven house, so our goal was to keep it small,” the architect says. The 1,650-square-foot plan includes a main-floor living/dining/kitchen area, plus a master bedroom, bathroom and utility room. Upstairs, a bunkroom, guest room, bathroom and loft are tucked un-der the steeply pitched roof.

A variety of tricks make the cabin feel larger. Each end of the high-ceilinged house opens onto an outdoor living space, welcoming in light and fresh air. The main living area fea-tures a wall of glass on one side and a large screened porch on another. “Even though the space itself is pretty tight, it feels much bigger because of the views,” Lenchek says.

A simple palette of materials enhances the illusion of space: concrete floors colored a soft beige, sheetrock walls painted a warm neutral hue, a plywood ceiling, and ex-posed framing lumber. “This idea of an economy of materi-als was driven by function and budget,” Lenchek says. “We used a lot of sheetrock, but exposing the structure was an inexpensive way to incorporate enough wood to make the space feel warm and inviting, like a cabin should.” o

it was the perfect campsite.

architecture by BalanCe assoCiates arChiteCtsconstruction by Jason lonsKi ConstruCtion & historiC preservation

top: “a south-facing wall of windows and concrete floors allow the structure to act somewhat like a passive-solar house,” lenchek says. bottom: a footbridge spanning 60 feet leads from the house to a grassy hill. in summer, the homeowners love gliding from the hilltop down into the forest via a zip line. in winter, they slide beneath the 8-foot-tall bridge on sleds.

a spacious screened porch adjacent to the kitchen and dining room is a favorite spot for family meals. the cor-rugated-fiberglass roof lets natural light filter in and adds to the home’s tent-like vibe.

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more For a guide to this home’s products and pros, visit mountainliving.com/alightintheforest.