Property of Mr. and Mrs. Brooks Walker, Lake Tahoe | architect Joseph Esherick

MR. AND MRS. BROOKS WALKER’S house on Lake Tahoe, at 6225 feet, enjoys almost as many climatic extremes as natural beauties. The former include strong breezes in summer, 12-foot snow packs in winter; the latter, groves of giant fir, cedar and pine and a body of water famous for its sapphire blue. When architect Joseph Esherick designed this all-season house, he further considered the fact that the Walkers liked to sun themselves, swim and ski, and that they wanted independent living quarters for their two sons. On the lake side, there is a spreading sun deck and, giving on it, a living room, glass-walled so that from the sheltered terrace you can look through it to the lake. The boys live on the upper floor, reach it by an outside staircase. On winter week ends, the Walkers can open up only the kitchen end or the entire ground floor. The steep roof and an ingenious disappearing balcony which doubles as shutters defy the snows, cope with the worst weather.