Located atop a small New England hill, this project is a lookout tower designed for stargazing at night and for taking in the sweeping views of the Connecticut River Valley by day. Drawing upon the rugged aesthetic of the historic fire towers that punctuate the American countryside, Light and Air conceived a structure that is at once simple, bold, and muscular. Built of steel and wood, the tower ascends fifty feet to a cantilevered observation deck supporting a small, primitive hut. The architecture remains modest, rooted in and respectful of Vermont’s vernacular building traditions.
As visitors climb upward, the stair landings extend beyond the structural frame, dramatically suspending them within the forest canopy. Inside the hut, Douglas Fir timbers and traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery define a warm, tactile interior. The exposed structure was erected in a single day and engineered to withstand the high winds encountered sixty feet above the ground.
Off the electrical grid, the hut relies on solar power for basic energy needs. Heat is provided by a wood-burning stove, while operable clerestory windows create a natural stack effect that cools and ventilates the space. Intended for gatherings or solitary retreat, the tower offers a quiet refuge—a secret folly concealed within Vermont’s dense northern forest.
