Forest House / Faulkner Architects

Architects: Faulkner Architects
Area: 4,500 ft²
Year: 2019
Photography: Joe Fletcher
Principal Architect: Gregory Faulkner
Project Manager: Breanne Penrod
Interior Design: Rory Torrigiani, Natalie Zirbel
Contractor: Glennwood Mountain Homes
Structural Engineering: CFBR Structural Group
Civil Engineering: Shaw Engineering
Mechanical & Electrical Engineering: Sugarpine Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering: NV5
Lighting Design: Faulkner Architects
Manufacturers: Dornbracht, Gaggenau, Bega, Duravit, Lucifer
Location: Truckee, Nevada County, California
Country: United States

Nestled within a dense stand of pine and fir in Truckee, Nevada County, California, the Forest House by Faulkner Architects merges contemporary design with environmental restraint. Positioned on a sloping site in the Martis Valley, the home is oriented southward to capture sunlight while maintaining a minimal footprint within its two-acre forested setting. A dark steel rainscreen sheathes the rectangular form, protecting against wildfire while echoing the bark texture of the surrounding trees. Inside, a palette of basalt stone, reclaimed teak, and board-formed concrete underscores a quiet dialogue between built and natural environments. Enhanced glazing, radiant heating, and efficient insulation improve comfort and performance. Completed in 2019, the house’s balanced composition and low-maintenance materials embody the firm’s ongoing commitment to contextual, enduring residential design.

Faulkner Architects approached the Forest House as an exercise in restraint, crafting a residence that disappears into the high-altitude forest near Lake Tahoe’s northern edge. The site, rich with Jeffrey and sugar pines interspersed with white and red fir, informed every design decision. Rather than clearing large sections of land, the architects placed the 4,500-square-foot dwelling carefully among the existing trees, allowing more than one hundred of them to remain intact and form a natural enclosure. The gentle slope of the terrain opens the southern aspect toward views of the Northstar California ski resort, while the surrounding canopy maintains a sense of privacy and immersion in nature.

A defining element of the structure is its ebonized steel rainscreen, assembled from three-inch angled members spaced one inch apart. Beyond its sculptural precision, this outer shell acts as a modern analog to tree bark, textural, protective, and resilient. It shields the wooden frame from embers and heat, addressing the constant wildfire threat characteristic of the region. In winter, the elongated form maximizes solar gain, allowing natural warmth to filter deep into the interior.

The home’s entry sequence is deliberately understated, encouraging a gradual transition from forest to shelter. Movement along the linear façade builds anticipation, culminating in a sheltered threshold filtered through translucent green glass that resonates with the color tones of the evergreen landscape. Once inside, the architecture unfolds into a series of interconnected living spaces that extend outward through continuous south-facing glazing. The adjoining deck appears to float above the ground plane, an uninterrupted platform for viewing the forest’s quiet density.

Interior materials maintain a tactile connection to the exterior environment. Basalt stone flooring and board-formed concrete surfaces ground the spaces, while reclaimed teak lends natural warmth to ceilings and floors. Concealed ceiling recesses integrate lighting and fire sprinklers designed by Faulkner Architects, emphasizing visual clarity and simplicity. Skylights descending from the roof to the wall edges introduce shifting daylight patterns and frame night views of the sky.

Manufacturers such as Dornbracht, Gaggenau, Bega, Duravit, and Lucifer contribute refined components that align with the project’s understated precision. These selections, paired with efficient mechanical systems by Sugarpine Engineering, ensure both comfort and sustainability.

Faulkner Architects’ Forest House exemplifies a balance between protection and openness, weight and lightness. It stands as a model of architectural sensitivity anchored in the material reality of its mountain context yet attuned to the ephemeral qualities of light, season, and time within the Sierra Nevada landscape.