dad visits job site
Parents can't help but want to be involved in their children's world. With the occasional bout of mischievous behavior aside, my parents are no exception to this rule. And so, when I can, I sneak them onto a jobsite for a tour. After 2 and 1/2 years of reporting about the design and construction progress of our job in Whitefish, I invited my father to Montana see for himself. The wet Spring weather proved to be a challenge, but did not stop us from venturing North to the Flathead Valley. Indeed, I had meetings to attend on site and a little rain would not thwart my father's intention to see his daughter's work first hard.
We found a few dry moments on the day we toured the site--enough to allow us to walk the property without much ado. Below is Pa-pa standing above the Poolhouse. The pool, surrounded by an aluminum and glass enclosure, projects out towards the lake.
Next stop was the mechanical room. This may sound a bit dull, but I assure you that the mechanical room in a structure that simultaneously houses a 75 foot pool and a Japanese art gallery will impress engineers and HVAC techs alike. My father, though a career lawyer, was duly impressed. No one who has worked with us on this project has witnessed a mechanical room its equal in a residential structure.
One of my favorite design features in the space is the walk through shower. We installed a custom teak floor drain, the stone mosaic is from Ann Sacks, the controls are from Gessi, the Rain Sky from Dornbracht and the shoji screens are custom. We checked out the shower and then bath house. Dad is admiring the Japanese tub from the opposite side of the shower. (I turned the water off first.)
Next we climbed the stairs to the gym. The gym has a spectacular view of the lake and opens to a "green" roof. Here you see the landscapers carefully placing the stones in a design inspired by traditional Japanese gardens. The stones will be surrounded by moss. Dad peeps his head out of the glass doors to admire their careful work.
Later in the day, after we left the jobsite, we decided to rent a pontoon boat to tour Whitefish Lake. The boat offered us a spectacular vantage point of the construction site. Dad was the captain and I, the happy photographer. Site may be seen to the left of the Captain's shoulder.
You can't work all the time! Below Pa-pa is enjoying a boat tour at Lake MacDonald in Glacier National Park. I am enjoying a glass of Pinot Grigio and an enclosed boating experience. This photographer at large caught a chill during the earlier Whitefish tour.
We found this little black bear on the side of the road eating grass. A lovely specimen of wildlife to complete the tour!
