A Shower in the Trees

When this striking contemporary home on Canada’s Kootenay Lake was built on a steep slate site, 25 feet from the heavily wooded shoreline, the design team carefully calibrated its impact on its natural surroundings.

Architect Jeremy Sturgess, principal of Calgary-based Sturgess Architecture, advises, “While studying your homesite, be really conscious of its subtleties. As much as you might want to exploit all the beauty of a site, you also have to be extremely careful to do it in a way that does not impede nature.”

This home’s design emphasizes the connection to the water, with an all-glass shower enclosure that extends beyond the exterior wall of the master bath and into the trees, affording close-up views of forest and lake.

“I always make sure that nobody is walking by before getting in,” the delighted yet cautious homeowner laughs. “Sometimes,” she continues, “living in this house feels just like being on a ship on the lake.”

To see more of this dramatic lakeside retreat, click here.

Photo by Robert Lemermeyer