In Utah’s Salt Lake City, the project Urban Treehouse replaces the footprint of where a former meth site once stood. The original building, which dated back to 1893 and was sorely overdue for demolition, was rebuilt and designed from the ground up by Sparano + Mooney Architecture, an LA- and Utah-based studio whose work aesthetics proved a perfect match for the client’s vision.
Shedding its sketchy history, the property is dominated by a sleek, 2,000-square-foot modern home that boasts double-height volumes, front façade glazing, and indoor spaces that seamlessly connect with the central courtyard and swimming pool. “The primary design goal was to immerse the home into the surrounding landscape so that trees are in view whether one is laying in bed reading a book or brushing their teeth,” explains the studio.
Its floor plan deviates from convention, favouring a single room for the client and its dog over multiple, unnecessary ones. The result is a series of multi-purpose areas that spill into each other, including the pool house, yoga studio and guest house, for everyone to enjoy. Carefully curated interior and decorative choices reveal a charming mix of vintage and contemporary: Italian crystal chandeliers; antique pieces such as a 19th-century Gothic wardrobe; a low-slung sectional by Molteni & C; and Wishbone chairs by Hans J. Wegner. Urban Treehouse is a departure from convention and history, beautifully rewriting its own.
The studio is on Instagram.
Photography © Matt Winquist (exteriors) and Kerri Fukui (interiors)