FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Tiktok YouTube Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe
Log In
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
Log In
Houses By Design

Modern House in the Trees

This home includes expanses of glass, including glass floors, that encapsulate tree-canopy views.

By Janice Rohlf Issue 309 - Aug/Sept 2022

kitchen Located in Dallas’s Urban Reserve neighborhood of modern homes with tree-canopy views, this house sits on a 5000-sq.-ft. lot distinct from the others in that its long view faces the street and there is a 25-ft. drop off the back of the property into a ravine.

With only 30% of the lot flat enough to build on, the project was a puzzle the architect solved by creating a cantilevered design, suspending portions of the home (the stairs and the deck off the back) over the edge of the cliff to make room for the parking pad, kitchen, living room, dining room, and half-bath, all on the 900-sq.-ft. ground floor. The upstairs contains the primary bedroom suite, laundry, small office, and two bedrooms with a shared en suite bathroom. While taking the home into the treeline was a practical choice, it also sparked an idea for breathtaking aesthetics that connect it back to nature. The A. Gruppo team designed expanses of glass, including glass floors, that emphasize transparency and open the home to views of the tree canopy, making it feel like a treehouse.

Architect/builder A. Gruppo Architecture Design Build, agruppo.com
Location Dallas, Texas
Photos Charles Davis Smith FAIA

dining room view of hallway

living room with big window

From Fine Homebuilding #309


RELATED STORIES

  • A Home that Blends Into Nature
  • House of Four Gables
  • A Midcentury-Modern Reoriented to the Outdoors

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters
×

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

New Feature

Fine Homebuilding Forums

Ask questions, offer advice, and share your work

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

More Houses By Design

View All
  • High Performance in the Mountains
  • New Hampshire Net-Zero-Ready
  • Urban Additions with a Rooftop Deck
  • Sea Ranch Open Plan
View All

Up Next

Video Shorts

Featured Story

Fine Homebuilding – Nov 2023, Issue #319

Find online articles on Flexible Housing Done Right; An Easy Approach to Coffered Ceilings; A Vent for Every Roof; Convert a Porch to a Mudroom; and much more.

Featured Video

Video: Build a Fireplace, Brick by Brick

Watch mason Mike Mehaffey construct a traditional-style fireplace that burns well and meets current building codes.

Related Stories

  • High Performance in the Mountains
  • New Hampshire Net-Zero-Ready
  • Urban Additions with a Rooftop Deck
  • Podcast 605: Members-only Aftershow — 3D Printed Houses

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Highlights

Fine Homebuilding All Access
Fine Homebuilding Podcast
Tool Tech
Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Video

View All Videos
  • Podcast 605: Members-only Aftershow — 3D Printed Houses
  • Exterior Materials for a Midcentury Home
  • Architectural Strategy for a Unique Skylight
  • Podcast 569: Members-only Aftershow — Rob Yagid’s Addition
View All

Dining Rooms

View All Dining Rooms Articles
  • Pullout Dining Table
  • Architecture for an Open but Cozy Home
  • Steel Sheet Piling Supports This House in the Dunes
  • Modern House in the Trees
View All Dining Rooms Articles

BOOKS, DVDs, & MERCH

Shop the Store
  • 2023 Fine Homebuilding Archive
    Buy Now
  • 2024 Tool Guide
    Buy Now
  • Code Check Complete 3rd Edition
    Buy Now
  • Pretty Good House
    Buy Now
  • Shop the Store

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 320 - Dec 2023/Jan 2024
    • How to Reuse Salvaged Wood
    • Chainsaw Retrofit and Energy Performance
    • Maximize HVAC Efficiency
  • Issue 319 - November 2023
    • Nearly Net-Zero ADU
    • An Easy Approach to Coffered Ceilings
    • Understanding Types of Roof Vents
  • Issue 318 - October 2023
    • Make Mudsills Square and Level
    • Turn Up the Heat With Induction Cooktops
    • The Fine Homebuilding Interview: Lloyd Alter
  • Issue 317 - Aug/Sept 2023
    • Finishing Drywall With Seamless Results
    • A Flat Roof in a Cold Climate
    • Compact Cordless Shop Vacs
  • Issue 316 - July 2023
    • Timber-Framed Solar Canopies
    • Build a Transom Above a Stock Door
    • Understanding Toilet Design and Efficiency

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

  • YouTube
  • instagram
  • facebook
  • pinterest
  • Tiktok
  • twitter

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell or share my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2023 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Project Guides
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • FHB House
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Follow

  • YouTube
  • instagram
  • facebook
  • pinterest
  • Tiktok
  • twitter

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to set_percent%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in