Roberts Creek Tree House

Jeff and Meghan’s unconventional home featured a one-of-a-kind blueprint and two design styles. Working with the right architect and Summerhill brought their vision to life.

From the get-go, Jeff and Meghan knew their elevated tree house concept was a tall order. “But Dean, Kyle, and Brad understood what we were going for right away,” says Jeff. On Summerhill’s recommendation, the couple connected with architect Scott Keck; “It was the perfect match.” The architect quickly grasped their vision of blending East Coast and West Coast design elements, while also addressing the challenge of maximizing space within that aesthetic.

To achieve extra space and a view of the water, Scott recommended two structures connected by a bridge, which also ensured privacy between the two forms. Incorporating traditional materials of the area, especially cedar shingle, was important to the homeowners. “This site has been in Meghan’s family for over 100 years,” says Jeff. “It also used to be the home of Harry Roberts, of Roberts Creek, who had a shingle bolt mill here.” Outside, the stained black cedar cladding is joined by the rusty warmth of Corten steel panels. Inside, the energy-efficient home has “cottage-y” touches, like a wood-burning stove, as well as luxurious elements, such as concrete floors with in-floor radiant heating.
The feeling of living amongst the trees, and preserving as many of them as possible, was also key for Meghan. “Trees are my happy place,” she says, and to that end, the building is strategically set between two dense tree stands. Scott adds, “One of Summerhill’s best traits is their sensitivity to the relationship between the building and site.”

This project was built during Covid with Jeff and Meghan residing on Vancouver Island, two ferry rides away. Despite the distance, Summerhill’s cloud-based project management tool kept everyone connected with open dialogue and consistent updates—which would prove to be especially important.

“Jeff is really not your typical client,” says Meghan of her partner. “He comes in with a very clear vision and high standards. They took his ideas, they would try to work them in, and they would warn us about cost escalations early on.” Jeff adds, “It’s true. Both Summerhill and Scott really embraced our crazy ideas. It felt like a collaboration for sure.”