Cal and Jane Howell from Redwood City, California, started construction of this unusual winter retreat in Squaw Valley in the early 1956. Construction took no less than 4 years, the cabin being finished right at the begining of the 1960 Winter Olympics. Being an engineer, Mr. Howell desgined and built the house himself, with the help of his eldest son Carl and Mrs. Jane.
The bat-wing roof (it is like an almost-square piece of paper folded diagonally for the peak) is supported by posts and beams and can take the punishing snow loads of Squaw Valley, the cedar siding was applied diagonally for extra strength. The hard resistance test was passed in its first winter when a record 16-feet high snow stacked up on the cabin's platform.
Low walls all the way around seem to borrow space from the kitchen and bedrooms and add it to the living room. The stained wood unifies the interior.
Mrs. Howell set all the tuquoise tile on this kitchen wood counter. The openness here keeps her in on the family activities in the rest of the house - and even when she's working, she can enjoy the view through the big glass end of the living room.
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