Ellen Ruby Blog's: Cedar Bridge House in Connecticut Hovers 50 Feet Above Ground

Monday, 10 August 2020

Cedar Bridge House in Connecticut Hovers 50 Feet Above Ground

It’s a bit of a bridge to nowhere, but this journey resulted in a truly unique house.

The cedar bridge house on Manchester Road in Glastonbury, CT, sits 50 feet above ground, anchored to a steel support structure. It’s on the market for only the second time, listed for $530,000.

“It was built by a local architect who really didn’t want to disrupt any of the lot, so he built the house around the trees with minimal excavation and prepping of the lot. It’s pretty cool,” says listing agent Danielle Riendeau.

The architect is Wilfred Armster, known for building geometric structures with bridge elements. He’s accomplished at building on sloping lots or parcels that are difficult to build on.

Armster has won awards for his architecture, which emphasizes minimal changes to the natural setting. His signature elements include skylights and glass walls.

Built in 1983, the cedar bridge house has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It measures 2,117 square feet.

The current owners bought the Colonial-style home in 1992 and completely modernized it, Riendeau explains. Now the residence features plenty of stone, wood, and clean lines.

“It feels expansive. When you enter the property and you open that first door and you see the skylights and all the natural light and the privacy and the beauty of the trees, it feels like you’re living in an adult, modern treehouse,” she says.

At night, the stars are visible through the skylights above the dining area and throughout the house.

The simple and clean kitchen features Poggenpohl aluminum cabinets, a Wolf cooktop, Sub-Zero refrigerator, Gaggenau oven, and a built-in wine cooler and coffee station.

“The kitchen looks amazing with top-of-the-line everything. It looks really beautiful with very clean lines,” Riendeau says.

Dining area
Noah Butler/ Alpha Photography

All of the appliances and some of the furnishings are included in the sale, including a glass-top table and adjustable stools.

Matilda, an Australian shepherd, appears in many of the listing photos.
Noah Butler/ Alpha Photography

Matilda, an Australian shepherd, appears in many of the listing photos but is not included in the sale, Riendeau explains.

“She was in so many of the photos and she was just a love,” she adds.

The bedrooms boast great views. The shower in the master bathroom has a glass surround and is near a glass wall. A floating deck sits off the master bedroom, part of the 1,800 square feet of total deck space.

Master bedroom
Noah Butler/ Alpha Photography

Master bathroom
Noah Butler/ Alpha Photography

“When you’re sitting on it, you just don’t see the end, so it looks like it goes out and ends over nothing,” Riendeau explains. “When you’re up there, you have a really beautiful view of the structure.”

The house sits amid trees on a 3-acre lot just off a road. “You can’t really tell from the road what it is at all. You just see something back there.” Riendeau says. During the winter when the leaves are off the trees, the house reveals itself a bit more.

“There’s this massive structure that you know may or may not be an elevator. You’re just not sure what it is. It’s just one of those houses you always drive by and you really don’t notice and then once you notice, you never can unnotice it and you’re always wondering what it is.”

Aerial view
Noah Butler/ Alpha Photography

So who would want to snap up this architectural delight?

“It’s going to a nature lover who wants to live in a piece of art,” Riendeau says. “It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Unbelievable privacy, the beauty of nature, it’s just very cool.”