Nestled into the rugged beauty of the Rocky Mountains in Loveland, Colorado, MARTaK Passive House, the 2017 Grand Overall Winner for Green Home of the Year, has a delightful bit of fun up its nature-loving sleeve. At the end of the upper bedroom and over the office hangs a net bed, light and airy, strong as nets can be – and irresistible.

Architect and owner Andrew Michler describes it as “a wonderful in-between space, part of the living area but distinctly separate at the same time. Formally, it is a way to bring reflected daylight into the small upper room and help extend the space out and help from feeling claustrophobic up there. It also connects the upper room to the main floor, like a traditional cabin loft.”

The net is made of special webbing that is stitched together to avoid knots, making it all the more comfortable for a delicious post-lunch afternoon nap. In his search for the ideal net, sifting through different styles from cargo nets to safety netting, Andrew found this webbing via a net distributor who was even able to custom grommet it for the bespoke installation. The setup involved a lot of experimentation as it stretched more than anticipated.

We particularly love its childlike charm. There is something nostalgically regressive and thrilling about climbing into a net suspended a few feet in the air. Naturally, it’s a hit with the kids.

According to Andrew, “The real fun is when visitors discover it. We had a small gathering of friends with children. Before I even had the BBQ lit, about seven kids piled into the bed testing their bravery and my engineering. It’s a unique way to keep tabs on kids even when they feel like they are in their own world. Adults seem to be just as attracted to it as well, so there is no real age limit to a net bed that I know of yet.”

We don’t think there’s ever an age limit for this kind of fun!

And there’s plenty to enjoy in the rest of the house too. Andrew Michler’s design is so meticulously sustainable that it exceeds all requirements for Passive Housing certifications by 100%. The vision is one of subtlety and sustainability—treading very lightly, the house mimics the silhouette of the surrounding hogback mountains, and is constructed of materials that can be reabsorbed by the forest.

Click here for your turn in the net bed at MARTaK Passive House.