Cantilever Lake House / Birdseye Design

Architects: Birdseye Design
Location: Vermont, USA
Builder: Birdseye Building Company
Landscape Architects: H. Keith Wagner Partnership
Area: 2600.0 ft2
Year: 2012
Photographs: Westphalen Photography

PROBLEM

Create a modern lakeside camp aesthetic while maintaining contextual sensitivity.

GOALS

• Design a contemporary architectural language that pays homage to the traditional lakeside camp
• Establish a sense of privacy in the closely-spaced lakefront construction, while also opening the communal spaces up to the maximum amount of lakefront
• Provide a path to the lake with an uninterrupted view of the water
• Avoid creating a dominant structure by using simple forms and a simple material palette

CONCEPTUAL SOLUTION

Recess the structure into the existing hillside to avoid an excessively vertical massing while simultaneously creating a walk-out lower level adjacent to the lake. Private spaces are situated in the buried portion of the residence, allowing the open, communal spaces to flow directly into the shoreline through a large glass façade. Simple, orthogonal forms, shed roofs, and a minimalist material palette serve to lessen the impact of the house on the waterfront landscape.