This contemporary cabin feels off the grid but is in fact situated within close proximity to the city. Designed for a family, The Lake House serves as an escape from the expectations of modern life.
With the use of natural materials and creative design, Seattle based architecture firm Suyama Peterson Deguchi (SPD) created a perfect retreat to maximize comfort with access to the lake.
The clients desired a getaway where they could gather with family and friends to relax, enjoy recreational activities on the lake and forget about their busy lives in the city. Covering 1841 square feet, the Lake House accommodates multiple indoor and outdoor spaces while the house descends into the waterline below.
The site conditions led SPD to carve multiple spaces into the topography. This was done by filling some of the spaces with water, which encouraged a sense of the waterfront merging with the property.
The resulting spaces relieved the pressure for privacy from being exposed to the waterfront. The courtyard area includes a water feature as well as a fire element. Taking shelter under the extended low sloping roof, this space enjoys complete privacy from the neighbours and lake.
With easy access from indoor to outdoor areas and views of the surrounding nature, the courtyard is a protected place of serenity and engagement, forging a seamless connection between interior and exterior. Concrete, stucco, glass and wood were mainly used for building.
The concrete walls, terraces and stucco volumes conceptually grow out of the natural topography – these materials were used because of their elemental qualities and relationship to nature. The wooden roof provides a sheltering warmth to the spaces.
The glass blurs boundaries between the interior and exterior spaces, allowing the spaces to merge as one simple space. Although not intentional, many characteristics of midcentury modern architecture are present in this contemporary cottage design.
Some examples include the transparency between interior and exterior spaces, floating horizontal low-slope roof, and the simplicity of the architectural elements.
