Unconventional Homes
Drawing on Norwegian stave church architecture, a boathouse built over six years in Creede, Colorado, "was a work in progress the whole time," recalls designer and builder Bryan Anderson. "The project was a riot: so much fun, so labor-intensive," adds owner Julie Augur.
"As my crew and I hacked our way through the jungle near the site, the research I'd done on African structures became more visible to me," says Suzy Odom, who designed a "sculptural environment" in Puerto Vallarta for businessman Jorge Rubio. Bands of handprints decorating Villa Kenya pay tribute to an African tradition.
A 14-foot-long Airstream, which was completely refurbished by Ralph Lauren, is one of four unique theme trailers previously auctioned for charity on the polo.com website. Under a pine ceiling stands a pullout peeled-log dining table. The floor is made from salvaged barnwood.
Architect Bart Prince conceived an elevated structure for a client outside Albuquerque, New Mexico. The living spaces cantilever from 11 steel-and-glass towers and are joined by a gallery walkway that runs the length of the house. "It's like nothing I've done before," says Prince.
"A tree house should never overpower the tree in which it is built. It should sit lightly in the branches," says Jeanie Stiles, who, with her partner and husband, David, designed in East Hampton.
On a southern Minnesota farm, the Glen Harder House displays the mixture of solid forms and exuberant accents that mark the work of architect Bruce Goff. Reflecting Mr. Goff's interest in Japanese architecture, the graceful curves of the eaves are exaggerated in turned-up chimney caps. Like a flying buttress, an arc of stones rises from the pool to a chimney.
Inspired by the vehicles that carried settlers to the West, interior designer Hilary Heminway and builder Terry Baird have updated old sheepherder's wagons with modern amentities. "They're deceptively luxurious," Hemingway observes. Inset: The bed is set into a nook beside an englarged window.
In Hamilton, Ohio, Harry T. Wilks designed and built Pyramid House, a unique underground residence. A blue glass pyramid, 38 feet square at the base and 27 feet high, rises above the subterranean structure, allowing sunlight into the interiors below. The rectangular tower contains a chimney and has a room at the top for viewing Wilk's 265-acre property.
"It was blue and white when we bought it," says Anouska Hempel, who transformed a traditional Turkish fishing boat into Beluga I, used for family vacations on Majorca. A ceiling and pivoting shutters of Majorcan cane fencing that provide guests with privacy define the daloon, which is behind the captain's bridge. Hempel added straw cushions dyed deep red and, as low tables, a 1923 Louis Vuitton trunk and two Chinese vellum trunks.
"It's comfortable and accommodating for an active family," says architect Marc Appleton of Erika Glazer's residential compound in Telluride, Colorado. "The interior entrance tower was laid out as a kind of fantasy tree house," explains Appleton. "The bark was left on the trunks, and branches were added to hold hanging lanterns and other surprises. The stair winds its way up around the eight thick columns."
