Lakefront Residence 1.0

I was first approached about this project in 2017. The clients were a professional couple with an adult daughter. They owned a beautiful lakefront property with amazing views but the “house” was a two-car garage converted by the previous owner and it was just too small for a multi-generation family. They asked me to design a renovation and addition that would be comfortable for just the two of them but could accommodate larger groups and overnight guests.

There were challenges of course. Each cardinal direction had a different constraint to consider. A road shared among neighbors curved around the North and West sides of the existing building, preventing any expansion in those directions. Most of the property to the East was below the flood line, meaning that any additional buildings in that direction would have to be raised or set back. And an intermittent stream interrupted the Southern portion of the property.

With no children at home, the aim for their expansion was purely to host and entertain visitors. The program, as we developed it, included converting the attic of the existing cottage into a bedroom with a full bath; adding a detached efficiency suite to ensure hosts and guests their own private, self-sufficient quarters; and to add an enclosed outdoor entertainment space, complete with full kitchen and a fireplace. Strategizing separate buildings allowed us to create private and self-sufficient spaces for both the homeowners and guests. And… by organizing the buildings pinwheel fashion, I was able to provide each unit with views of an interior courtyard in addition to the eastern view of the lake. Strategizing separate buildings seemed the most appropriate response to creating private and self-sufficient spaces. With a fourth space in mind, we organized the buildings along somewhat of an axis, which provided each unit with views of an interior courtyard in addition to the Eastern view of the lake.