Project Description
2008 RADA
Architectural Design Detail / Merit
When his client asked for an outdoor bed for this Lake Michigan weekend house, David Hanawalt’s first thought was moldy sheets. But then the architect had another idea. “I was researching lift mechanisms for sliding doors,” he explains, “and it made me think that we could apply a similar technique to a bed.”
And so Hanawalt, AIA, worked with cabinetmakers to devise a manual rolling system that allows the master suite’s built-in bed to glide outside. Snap-in bridges for the roller tracks prevent glitches crossing the threshold, and the wenge-veneered headboard angles back for comfortable viewing of the lake. Hanawalt says the bed is a smash hit with the newlywed owners.
Our judges were equally enamored: “I want one of these!” said one.