Build the tower with one room large enough for a king size bed and kitchenette, and a full bath with walk-in shower. Have it accessible solely from a door at grade level. Send me the address and a key to the door. Provide one parking spot.

I'd find one of these more impressive and useful than belvedere or tower.

https://www.beautifullife.info/urban-design/15-awesome-tree-houses-around-world/

@Mark Bischak Do you mind sharing one of the espresso machines from downstairs or want your own up in the tower?

@decoenthusiaste Treehouse like on that link would be fun but Design Review Board is strict. This is an example from the build guidelines, in terms of roof pitch, sidings, chimneys, materials. The houses are sort of supposed to look like old frontier dwellings; this is just to encourage a standard look and feel in the community. We knew these requirements before buying the lot...

You might consider building an "L" shaped home and put the tower in the center over a center great room room at the angle of the "L". You could still have rooms at each gable end of a wide attic for windows for their own view.windows.

Your tower could then be plus ("+") shaped -- not exactly like your neighbor's at all -- with the steps from an entry in a front north facing corner separate from the main heated living area by French doors. A plus shaped tower could, potentially, be more useful because you could have distinctly defined but connected space and you could put the back of your seating against the least desirable view and sit facing the more desirable view -- without your seating being in the middle of the tower.

You could keep your room walls of your home straight and create angled walls only in the large pentagon https://www.google.com/search?q=different+pentagon+shapes&client=firefox-b-1-d&sxsrf=ALeKk03Ktq4GhtVJqtlhSbj-K0W4OBlPyA:1629334317259&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=JW_Lk4NhnWTx-M%252CUVVzgf49JRf4_M%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQ9b44W9kVU3wr28zh_ssf2Yksirw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjc7Myp77vyAhULEVkFHZS1DC0Q9QF6BAgJEAE&biw=1366&bih=615#imgrc=nEdbJ42hDV9GnM 

shaped front entry, with its point in the ninety degree (right angle of) the "L" -- one of the two sides of the entry opening to a breezeway between garage and house. Your front door sheltered by a modest sized stoop/porch/portico would be a wall diagonally from one part of the "L" to the other.

Putting the garage or open, drive thru car shelter

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/32580797288632065/on the north side (in northern hemisphere) separated from the house by a small breezeway or screened porch) means you'd not be blocking sunlight into the home with the car shelter/garage, the end of the shelter facing the driveway could have the rustic design. The other sides of the home could receive a lot of direct natural sun light -- south, east and west.

That rustic ranch/cabin drawing appears to have been built on a slope and have attic rooms. With attic and basement, your home can have more room with a smaller foot print and your chimney(s) can warm multiple floors.

If your home is on a south facing slope, your pentagon shaped entry in a front right angle could be both your entry and landing for steps and your main living area"basement" could be downstairs and bedroom's upstairs ... or vise versa and it wouldn't look as if you have a two or three story home at all -- more ranch cabin with upstairs in the attic.

What direction does the front of the residence face and is the lot sloped?

Do you need to do anything with the tower? There are homes with dormers and gables thqt are purely decorative and provide no function, although they might provide light to spaces below.

Tower is useless.

Another place for roof to fail, IMO.

IF you design a tower to meets your needs as a bonus room, it could be worthwhile but it seems not worth the money to me. Also, the more angles and fancy "things" you put on a roof, the more potential there is for a leak. Personally, I'd focus on putting windows in the gable ends of the attic instead. With an "L" shaped roof, you could have at least three gable ends. If you can have one face east and another south and another west -- you'll have plenty of natural light in your attic.

Thank you, but I normally do not drink any of those coffee drinks; but if I do I add so much sugar it tastes like chocolate milk.

@suezbell Some good ideas, thanks. To answer your question, the lot is sloped but build envelope and ideal placement will be in a flatter area, see image The front of the residence will be facing southwest. Also, views pretty good in most directions - it's on a ridgetop. There's one or possibly two houses visible but our dwelling is going alongside that little aspen grove which will mostly block that other house in summer. First pic with person standing at stake is SE edge of build envelope & the 2nd pic is facing to the NW.

@bpath We don't even have to have the tower but the more I'm reading about it and from what others suggest it might be an excellent way to bring even more light into second floor living space. For example, from that video from @teresa_or the belvedere would permit enormous amounts of light to shine in from above, like a monster skylight? I imagine a possible metal spiral staircase ascending to a medium sized belvedere.

One important thing I noticed when I was researching this feature: you must have the ability to light it. The purpose, I suppose, is it will look like a hole at night. We just put an LED strip on top of our beam.

We had a house at 11,500’ and can’t image how much the sun is going to cook that space even in the winter. The sun is intense at that altitude and hope your architect is familiar with building at altitude. When you have a bunch of snow on your roof is it going to leak in those windows? It seems like you will have a beautiful view out of every window so I would skip it.

@Beth Allen Good idea, an LED will work well, or faint strip lights.

@Kate Wow, 11,500 - 'way up there. We can have sunshades or various shades. Plus we can have windows in that room with a particular Solar Heat Gain value, etc. The house will be super bright anyway with nano-wall type windows in some places. Maybe "tower" won't be needed but will keep thinking about it - will be dramatic and fun to hang out up so high. Our architect and builder are both local to the high mountains and will be aware of sun exposure, snow and possible leaks.

*Steve, living at altitude has many challenges besides breathing. Things aren’t as efficient because any type of fire, propane, gas and wood burn less efficiently without normal oxygen levels. We were off grid and keeping snow off the solar panels is another challenge, then there is all that shoveling, including decks and roof. Ours was built to sustain high snow loads so we didn’t shovel the roof, but many a deck and roof have collapsed under the weight. So much to consider besides aesthetics, and your house is lovely. A couple things we learned too late, a circle driveway allows you to push the snow thru, we had to hire a bobcat front loader, you don’t typically have gutters so you have to be mindful of where your roof will drip so you don’t get ice on your steps. Hope that helps.

Beautiful place. From the pictures, it appears you're not going to need a tower for a view. Places with more snow probably need more slope to the roof and less complicated roof lines to be more practical ... and lots of insulation and proper ventilation. Would put the windows in the gable ends of attic rooms instead of adding a tower..

If you build on the most flat part of your lot, the most sloped -- and least usable -- part of the lot is what is left for your yard?

Do let us know how your build turns out.

Mark Bischak, Architect lol

@Kate Good tips. I'm hoping snow on solar will melt quickly but will ask if there are any remedies. Luckily not off grid yet so solar is alternative. Decks will be an issue but the critical thing will be to have an easy path to hot tubs. May have under-cement or under-stone heaters for that. Regarding snow removal on driveway we've been warned to have it circular or even have a turnout so they can fill up the turnout on heavy snow days. Driveway will likely be quite long so we'll just contract a truck to plow.

@suezbell Our architect & builder are used to snow country so should work out fine with roof pitches, insulation, etc. There'll be virtually no yard. The 2.7 acres is like a garden already with stones, wildflowers, aspens and firs. Definitely no lawn. There will be little trails here and there will small seating areas to enjoy various views.

Would you add a widow’s walk around the belvedere? I don’t know if that is done, but wouldn’t it be nice! I think my DH would love something like this, for plane-spotting.

Hilarious. Hey, Steve, I prefer an elevator to the tower, don’t you Mark?

I will settle for interior stairs, I don't want to appear too demanding or ungrateful. Maybe for the cleaning person?

Lot's of humor here, haha, but to answer the original question: I would think of it as a screened porch, but up in the air and with windows that close. Comfortable chairs, maybe a table, and make sure the windows are low enough to see out when seated. And I sure wouldn't be concerned what the neighbors think, it's a great design feature.

How about a firehouse pole for descending? ooh, a rock wall for the ascent?

I would definitely have a couple of chairs and a table, with a sketch pad and nice pencils, and a telescope and stabilizing binoculars.

So, we entertained something like this for our build. In the end we didn't do a 'tower' but we did something else. The issue with the Tower was exactly like many of the thoughts or concerns here. We couldn't figure out what furniture to place there or how to arrange it in a way that didn't block the views. And where the steps come up into the tower was an issue was well.

Eventually, after discussing extensively with our architect and realizing we just wanted a nice room with great views, we built a regular space about 1/2 story above the second floor. We call it the view room. It has windows on 3 sides and is lovely so far (still in the framing stage).

@doc5md great idea. If you could post part of your plan, that would be great?

@bpath Certainly a slow and tricky way up and a fast way down. It's all for grins anyway so might as well make the house really unique?

@RappArchitecture. Excellent points. Could have something like shown. Our architect will refine, of course.

Several years ago I added an observation tower (single room third floor) to an existing home. I used an alternating stair to save space (check with local codes). It was built to maintain a view of Lake Michigan over growing trees.

I also designed an observation tower that resembled a lighthouse (it was on a lake), which got shot down during zoning appeal. Don't get me started on that one.

If you do not have a specific need for it (other than provide vacation space to a total stranger) I would question building it, and the money could go to more important things, like a wine cellar (which would have a secret passage to the tower).

@cpartist if it was fun to be up there, comfortable and so on then it might be a great place to hang out, read, etc.

Here's where you're showing you most likely won't use it by your comment "it might be a great place..."

When spending 6 or more figures of your hard earned money, you should build and design a house for your actual needs, not your fantasy needs.

For example, my fantasy when I was thinking of building our house was to have a formal dining room so we could have sit down formal dinners. In my 30 plus years of living in houses, I can probably count on my hands and toes the number of times I've actually done a formal sit down dinner and still have toes left over. However I do entertain a lot (precovid), but my idea of entertaining is opening up my living room kitchen and out door area, setting up buffet style and letting everyone just relax and enjoy so that's how I designed my house.

If you haven't read The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka, I highly recommend it. Not because she talks about small houses (she discusses right sized houses) but because she talks about designing a house for your actual needs and wants and not the fantasy that will never happen.

I would call this room my napping/reading room. def definitely furnish it for great naps and reading.

“What is an observation tower even used for?

Observing” lol

Is a zip-line to the neighbor's tower an option?

This sounds more like a "keeping up with the Joneses" type of thing than a legitimate design question. Don't get one just because your neighbor has one.

If you have the luxury of designing and building your own place, use your imagination (or yoouor architect's) - don't poach your neighbors'.

This is a vintage architectural feature on homes known as a Widow's Walk.

IMO build a house that takes in the view all the time without climbing stairs to a space that you did not plan well. I will bet money that belvedere space is not used often . It is out of the way of living spaces so IMO always out of the way for real use.

Steve Garrison ok, it still doesn't make any sense to me to want a tower when without any idea how to use it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Steve - hate to burst your bubble on Solar, but snow will not melt off you panels. We had them hoping the same thing (we installed solar to offset the outrageous cost of running heat tape all winter long)… fortunately we built up “almost” enough credit during the summer to cover the increased cost in the winter. (We were at 8600 feet - maybe you’re lower and won’t get that much snow)

BeverlyFLADeziner without the open air walking surface, it's a belvedere, not a widow's walk.

You could be the fire spotter for the neighborhood. The HOA may even pay you .

Do you need full time security? The tower would be great for posting sentries.

We stayed in a house in St. Thomas that had a similar tower. The ocean views from the tower were spectacular. I thought if I lived there full time I could use it as my home office, perhaps you could do the same?

@Caroline Hamilton my first trip to STJ we stayed at a house with a 'happy hour tower'. It was outside, with a lighted staircase up, and outlets for the blender. :) (STJ is my happy place.)

@Jeff Smith Some of the answer might depend on the rest of your home design and what kind of hobbies you might have. e.g. Will the tower be easily accessible from the living areas? Maybe it's a bar area with a telescope. Does anyone in the home paint, draw, sculpt, make models? Maybe it's an art studio.

My former neighbors had a tower that was used for the owner's home embroidery business. Here are a couple photos from the listing (sold 2 years ago,) street # removed.

@Caroline Hamilton. Right on, as they said in the 70's or thereabouts. Home office and watch over nature's domain. With such an office may want to actually work longer instead of retiring! We bought this lot for the views and this is the whole point of the tower.

@Kate We absolutely need full time security. A black bear could attempt to invade anytime.

@craljh Firespotter...yes! I smell tax deductions.

Ok, open air widow's walk is too extreme, even for me. Then the tower would have to be large enough for a door, flat surfaces for walking, would have to be high enough above roof line (for 360 degrees) walking. Finally, the whole living level (2nd floor) will have extensive wrap around decks for about 270 degrees.

@Candace good information about solar. Will check with the other homeowners up there who have solar and especially inquire about snowmelt. Good thing about the Rockies is it will snow but the sun is intense and warms the air pretty quickly, but great info. We'll be at 9500' elevation.

@Patricia Colwell Consulting. Good points. We met with architect yesterday. We'll have an elevator and stairs. The elevator will only go to second floor but hopefully a person can drag themselves up to the tower - right now not a problem.

Further, we rejected idea of spiral staircase - we'll just have a third flight of stairs to the tower in the same stairwell from 1st floor.

It looks like a lovely, quiet, away space that could have several uses - home office, reading, napping, grandkid fort building, adult blanket fort building, star gazing, wine drinking, etc.

stunning views.

We have some wealthy friends who did a raised, peaked, windowed roof above their kitchen. (if there’s a specific name for this I don’t know what it is) It was similar to a tray ceiling but the tray was about 4’ tall. There was an electric mechanism that allowed one to open the roof/windows for light, breezes and fresh air, and some of the windows were stained glass.

It was very cool and the only one I’ve ever seen. They did have some issues with it after a hailstorm. :(

@Jeff Smith Here's a rendering and photo of a plan that I toured several years ago. The tower was used as an office, but it could've been a bedroom. It is an incredible space. I've seen versions of it with exterior staircases for outside access and an interior staircase. Home size is around 5000 sq ft.

@patrickaz. Very nice, that tower in the photo looks like a good office or bedroom size, definitely bigger than most belvederes; probably about 18 or 20 ft each side. Only thing we would want to change from that design is adding more glass and having the glass extend nearer the floor. But with that tile roof and all, that tower in the picture matches the Mediterranean style design features of the house.

This has been a fun thread to read and reminds me of when we lived in the suburbs and discovered the next door neighbour had started an unpermitted addition to build a tower accessible by a tunnel in his basement. I am not sure what the purpose was but when the authorities were alerted, the project halted and they were left with only a tunnel (which became an interesting hangout for the teenager son.) The neighbours were all relieved since there was no view other than the neighbours’ houses.

Here’s one. The tower houses the kitchen on 1st floor, laundry room on 2nd, a bedroom on 3rd, mural on 4th, bedroom on 5th, and observation terrace on top.

The mural by Nikolai Remisoff ”depicts the Greek Gods overseeing the earth, with the words of a mere mortal, "feeling as if he is walking among the stars with the Gods." Such a unique and breathtaking space would be an amazing home office!” (from the listing)

In the flat midwest, even close to the great lake, this is how tall your tower has to be for a glimpse of a view.

Here's another product by the same architect with a tower. These homes are smaller patios homes arranged in clusters. I also included a view of a cluster.

If you plan to build a Mediterranean or Spanish style home, you may find the Architecture section in the attached guidlines for this community helpful:

https://santaluzscc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Custom-Design-Book.pdf

Here's another reference for another community (same developer) that includes architectural guidelines for other traditional american homes. It's what I had to use to design my Rural Mediterranean home: https://verrado.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Verrado-Custom-Home-Design-Guidelines-Regent-Hills.pdf

No matter what I suspect the guidelines will offer you some food for thought. Hope this helps.

Make sure the design is appropriate for the location. Here is an observation tower, but this project was to be located on a lake in the midwestern United States.

Towers tend to be the last refuge when the Barbarians attack. Plan it carefully.