"I don’t sell plans, I sell design," was architect, Michael P. Johnson’s response when he received a call from Roger Sullivan. Sullivan placed a call to Johnson requesting the plans to Johnson’s own Arizona home that had been featured in a national publication. The architect’s primary concern was the viability of a large beamed residence for Sullivan’s recently purchased land in upstate New York. "His request may not have been appropriate as a design solution," says Johnson, "but when I received photographs and a survey of the site, I was delighted to see a chance to utilize this plan." In fact, Johnson intuitively saw an opportunity to implement the design in a way that Sullivan had overlooked. While Sullivan had purchased two lots of land in order to accommodate a new residence, the architect saw the opportunity to use the house as a bridge over the ravine that bisected one of the lots. After an initial sketch, which Johnson estimates took five minutes, was faxed to Sullivan, the architect had acquired a new client.

Johnson finally met Sullivan when he flew out to New York. Once contracts were signed, Johnson set out to find a local contractor: "It was important for me to locate a contractor who worked on commercial buildings. A residential builder would have been the wrong choice since I would need somebody with experience in large-beam construction." This unusual methodology in residential construction became a social event for the nearby small town. The large-scale glulam beams were transported by truck and a crowd of people followed it to its destination. Another crowd formed when the crane, which would help with placement of the beams, was also brought through town. Johnson recalls, "People would hang out and watch the erection of the frame." The frame and trusses were in place within two days.

Extreme weather conditions in upstate New York was a factor to be taken into account in the house’s construction. Johnson considered the challenge and even refers to the finished product as "over insulated." In both the ceiling and the floor, he utilized deep trusses. The architect specified a rubber roof. "With its internal roof drains and the fact that it’s sealed at every joint and is fused together, the roof, which will last a minimum of twenty years, is not going to leak," he states. The common heavy snowfalls to the area were an added boon to Johnson’s plan. The wood beams are able to capture snow and, in turn, become added insulation. Also, ideal to the harsh winters, an in-floor radiant heat system was added.

The elongated 2,700-square-foot house features two-bedrooms and a large open space that combines the kitchen, a dining space, and a living area. Johnson chose bamboo flooring for its ability to bring in color and texture with a minimum of grain pattern.

The client requested a wood-burning stove; Johnson gave him two. The steel fireplaces lend a sculptural focal point in both the main bedroom and the living space. "These fireplaces are one-off sculpted pieces from France," he describes, "There’s a three-month lead time for these pieces and they’re worth the wait."

The bridge-like house was built in a subdivision made up of one-acre lots, but even with its almost entirely glazed north and south façades and no window coverings, privacy is not a concern. The southern side looks out onto the river below and if one were to look up to the house, the angle allows no visual intrusion. The north side, where the kitchen is located, is, Johnson describes, "thick with greenery. Even in the winter you’re unable to see in because it becomes a thicket of branches."