The design minimizes impact on the landscape and celebrates the natural site’s character by preserving and weaving through its various features; the adjacent shoreline on the south, a monumental glacial erratic boulder to the north, hovering above the forest floor and scattered boulders, and navigating the forest’s hemlock and pine trees.
Conceptually, the house is conceived as an arrangement of private / semi-private spaces grouped as solid blocks. These blocks are arranged to frame and hold the common open space of the family room. The family room is the nexus of the house and is organized as part of the exterior – with southern panoramic views of the lake. On approaching the entrance of the house, the building dynamically wraps around the glacial erratic, framing the open family room and creating an aperture with views beyond towards the lake, inviting one into the house.
The camp’s private spaces are intimate, and visually quiet, and use strategically placed windows to frame specific site conditions. For instance, the master bedroom is cantilevered into the tree canopy above the lake, providing a dramatic overlook of the lake. A veil of trees screens the bedroom for privacy but sunlight penetrates the foliage of the trees, activating the space with flickering dappled sunlight and cast shadows.
Project name: Elevated Camp House
Architects: Murdough Design Architects – https://www.murdoughdesign.com/
Location: United States
Year: 2020
Photographer: Chuck Choi Architectural Photography – https://www.chuckchoi.com/
Lead Architects: Thomas Murdough
Contractor: Denali Construction – Jim DePaolo
Landscape Contractor: Miracle Farms – Chris Maroun
Structural Engineer: RSE Associates – Richmond So
Design/Architecture: Jenny Tjia, Rob Potish, Ben Tulman
Surveyor: T.F. Bernier Inc. – Tim Bernier
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