The Boat House — named in reference to the East Coast influence behind its design — features a super-sized deck that establishes the back yard as the home’s entertainment centerpiece. One look at the three-story gazebo, swim-up bar, two-story spiral staircase and double-decker balconies and guests might think they’re on the set of a hip-hop music video.

Built in six months for a Parade of Homes event, this house just outside Denver features elements such as a theater with an open floor plan, a boat-shaped bar, a three-car garage with storage space below, and stackable washers and dryers in each bedroom. The home follows the open floor plan concept to create a casual, comfortable feel.

But the star attraction is the north side back yard, which in Denver still receives plenty of sun. The decision to make the deck and pool space the home’s centerpiece was made early in the design phase to take advantage of lakefront views, rare in the Denver area.

Balconies extend far enough from the house to create the feeling of hovering over water when standing on them, says Kevin Albright, managing partner, Hollyberry Homes in Denver. “The deck is out of the ordinary. The concept was to do something new, different, that has not been done before.”

Supporting Structure

It takes plenty of strength to support the elaborate deck network, which is why 8x8 steel columns form its infrastructure. The steel is covered with wood and manufactured decking, says Hollyberry’s architect, Craig Gates. “A steel structure is standard for a deck that size. Much of the deck could have been done out of wood, but because the gazebo is so tall and slender and it sits in the middle of a swimming pool, we went to steel. And we did it all in steel to be consistent,” he adds.

The decking material is Latitudes Equator slated gray composite deck board from Universal Forest Products, covering roughly 650 sq. ft. of surface, to the delight of Gates. “The beauty of this material is there are no nail holes. It’s a really good system, and brilliant the way it was done. They have a plastic biscuit that is screwed to the joist and the decking is grooved on the side. That fits into the biscuit. It allows the decking to expand and contract, and again, you see no fasteners at all,” Gates says, referring to UFP’s Equator hidden fastener system.