Situated on the beautiful shores of Grand Traverse Bay and surrounded by natural vegetation, this modest yet striking residential design centered on the client’s primary objective: to create a comfortable, functional yet inspiring family retreat on Lake Michigan. Influenced by the surrounding lake views and the local vernacular, we focused on designing a structure that could integrate into the landscape, taking advantage of the views and the natural wind coming off the lake while still preserving most of the existing trees on the property.

The challenge of any large family gathering space is creating very open and functional community spaces while still providing private, cozy spaces. In this design, it was important to do this while still orienting all spaces to capture views of the lake. The size, scale and character of the design, along with the unique organization of the program, allowed for a flow from space to space without missing a single view. The natural wood elements throughout the home, as well as the large expanses of glazing, bring the warmth and beauty of the surrounding environment inside, rooting the home in its natural setting.