Two Towers

Bringing a piece of work together that’s both fanciful and practical has long been my forte. The balance can swing to favor one or the other depending on the circumstances. When both share the spotlight, a project really shines, as was the case with the pondside towers; a folly, for sure, but with a hidden purpose. Designed to be viewed from a lookout point on a hill above the pond, the towers would appear to be an architectural relic from some pre-industrial enterprise. Even with up-close scrutiny the stone palisades would not betray their true purpose. Within its thick outer layer resides a pair of small wooden structures with deeper identities of the sensorial realm. The wee bothies contain sanctums of calm and quiet, only disturbed by the sound of crackling stove fires. The sauna hut and relaxing den feel as though they were transported from a remote nordic upland to be cocooned by the high stone walls.

Construction began in the autumn, continuing until the snowstorms arrived, and then resumed in the spring after the snow drifts had melted. The pause in construction gave me space to reflect and ponder, which I rarely get to do midstream in a project. The physical work with its emphasis on logistical planning, resource gathering and walling faded away enough to enjoy fulfilling the concept while in a dream state. That’s the state that the finished work intends to engender in both the casual, long distance viewer of the place and the sauna-taker at ease within; living a dream.

The 27’x52’ footprint includes two interior rooms. The walls are 4’ thick at the base, battered to 18” wide at the top. Eight granite window openings pierce the facade. The DSWA certified wallers involved in the construction were Jared Flynn, Russell Autrey, Jamie Masefield and me. Additionally, Richard Epstein labored wholeheartedly. All contributed mightily to bringing up the walls from foundations to full heights.