6363 Longcroft Dr, Oakland, CA 94611

Artfully suspended from an elegant framework of massive poles and beams, this magical tree house integrates extraordinary design into a leafy, pine-studded hillside, its light-filled rooms radiating outward from four central poles like platforms in an enchanted forest. Inside, soaring spaces, custom cabinetry, walls of redwood and walls of glass are framed by the geometry of beams and tall poles; the fifteen exterior poles both anchor the structure into its site and become part of the wooded landscape. Eight living levels, each just four steps apart, hang from the beams, which span from pole to pole. The open plan creates dramatic sight lines inside and out, from the balcony foyer overlooking the living and dining rooms and forested canyon to the small jewel-like windows beneath each beam, a subtle architectural expression of the suspension-based structure; there are no bearing walls. Five broad decks, some interconnected, enhance the indoor/outdoor flow. Built by architect Harry Jacobs, FAIA, for his family in 1971 and cherished by its second owner since 1991, this fine, carefully engineered example of post and beam construction invites lovers of architecture and the natural landscape, here beautifully blended, to this serene Piedmont Pines neighborhood.