High above the surrounding countryside, often acting as both observation points and secluded retreats, tower bedrooms combine spectacular views with a sense of comfort and safety.
Located in Canada, this particular tower isn’t of the fairytale variety, with a tall, narrow turret rising so high into the sky, it’s practically a lookout for a nearby fortress, yet it suggests surveillance all the same with a shape that may unintentionally mimic that of a security camera. Architecture firm Kariouk Associates say they developed the design as a solution to a very particular challenge.

Hoping to be as close to Lake Eerie as possible, the client was only able to afford a narrow strip of land lacking any views of the water. The shape of the plot, plus local zoning laws restricting height to a maximum of two floors, immediately eliminated any of the usual solutions, like placing the house on stilts. While height-restricting zoning laws can help ensure that new developments don’t dramatically change the landscape and block the views of existing houses, they also require those hoping to snag a lake view lifestyle for less to think way outside the box. Finding a way to fulfill the client’s wishes with a budget property that’s 2,000 feet away from the lake shore with other homes in between is challenging enough?but the plot thickens. The owner is a singleton who wanted his new home to “serve as a lure for a mate,” say the architects. Not only sh...