The house of neon
This microcosm of Las Vegas is outfitted with essentials for partying and good night’s rest
Just press “play” and the hidden elevator glides down to the lower level that’s dedicated to entertainment. Or hit the “eat” button for the mainlevel kitchen and dining area, or “sleep” for the upper-level bedrooms.
Set in the desert, 15 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip, this contemporary attention-getter is billed as the house that entertainment built.
A microcosm of the big Nevada resort city, it invites guests to party all night, dine on the best food, then catch up on sleep in quiet and privacy. Each activity has its own floor, designed and outfitted for that purpose.
On the “play” level, there’s a twolane Brunswick bowling alley set off by colourful LED lights and a seethrough, digitally inventoried wine cellar with more than 1,800 bottles.
Owners Jon Sparer and John Klai, two of Las Vegas’s top resort architects, are “passionate about entertaining,” explains Mark Fitzpatrick, CEO and founder of Ruhm, a luxury real estate marketing firm.
“The owners wanted to design a home that was private, yet would be an absolutely amazing experience for entertaining.”
Designed in collaboration with award-winning architect Eric Strain, it’s called “CAVU” — the aeronautical acronym for “ceiling and visibility unlimited” — in a nod to the views and potential for unlimited entertainment.
“You can’t help but be social and have a good time, too,” Fitzpatrick says of indoor and outdoor gatherings, that can hold up to 400 guests.
Featuring “unparalleled amenities” on the three floors, CAVU has all the bells and whistles you’d expect in a high-calibre home, according to Fitzpatrick.
That translates into an Italian- made gourmet kitchen, state-of-theart home theatre and outdoor eatery with wood-burning pizza oven. The tap of a touchscreen on a control panel activates audio-visual systems, lighting and motorized window shades.
Rooms are illuminated by uplights, downlights, task and spotlights, all custom-designed by renowned expert David Singer.
“We wanted it to be a living piece of art,” Klai says of the attention-getting abode that took nine years to plan, design and construct.
Sustainability was a key focus, with materials such as renewable steel, recycled glass and concrete floors, and landscaping that employs native plants for water conservation.
Part of the house is shaded by a 43-metre roof structure the size of a Boeing 747 wing that’s equipped with a massive solar panel and deflects light and heat on the south side.
Designed around a “slits and slots” motif, the home also boasts pocket doors that glide into walls, rectangular skylights that send slices of sunlight into a room and lighting fixtures that create visual grids.
“I have not seen another home like this ever, designed with such attention to detail,” marvels Fitzpatrick.
Check out the video at cavuvegas.com.