Residential Architecture
Split-Tree House
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Designed and built by Keith Wheeler, the Split-Tree House is integrated into its wooded Ozark setting, blurring the boundary between indoor living and the surrounding forest canopy. The Fayetteville residence is a personal design-build project in which architecture, construction, interiors, and detailing were developed as one cohesive work.
Site response
A home organized around what was already there.
A significant existing tree became the defining element of the project. Rather than treating it as an obstacle, the house was composed to split around it, allowing the natural feature to shape the building's form and create a more direct relationship between the home and its wooded Fayetteville setting.
Plan
Shared and private spaces unfold in a clear sequence.
The plan balances open communal areas with more contained places for retreat. Circulation is direct and intuitive, allowing the house to unfold gradually while maintaining clear relationships between everyday living spaces, private rooms, and the outdoors.
Light + landscape
Interior life stays connected to the surrounding canopy.
Primary living areas are positioned to gather natural light, frame landscape views, and open toward exterior spaces. Carefully placed glazing and sheltered transitions soften the boundary between inside and outside while preserving a sense of privacy.
Architectural expression
Restrained details let the site remain central.
Clean lines, disciplined massing, and a contemporary material palette give the house a cohesive presence without overpowering its setting. Variation in form and openings creates depth, while durable, authentic materials reinforce the home's long-term connection to the landscape.
Outcome
A site constraint became the home's identity.
Split-Tree House demonstrates how custom residential architecture can transform an existing site condition into a defining design opportunity. The result is a highly personal home shaped not only for its owners, but also for the specific place it occupies.
Architectural services
- Design-build
- Architecture
- Construction
- Interior design
- Site-responsive planning
Project team
- Keith Wheeler · Designer, architect, builder + interior designer
