Project: Northern Lake Home
Architects: Strand Design
Location: Northern Township, Minnesota, USA
Area: 4,800 sf
Photographs by: Chad Holder Photography
Northern Lake Home by Strand Design
The Northern Lake Home is a stellar lake house designed by Strand Design in the area of Northern Township, Minnesota. With just under 5,000 square feet of living spaces, this home really offers a beautiful retreat surrounded by nature and with the added benefit of soothing views of the lake.
Combining the active lifestyle and appreciation of modern Scandinavian architecture of a youthful Minnesota couple, this vacation retreat celebrates its natural north woods environment.
Programmatically, the Northern Lake Home is composed of two primary massings separated by a glass core. Splaying out to the lake beyond and nestled into a natural swale, the public spaces contour along the landscape blurring the distinction between its built and natural environments. The voluminous living areas feature large walls of glass to welcome in the sometimes scarce northern light and capture intimate lake views through the embankment. A glass core converts through its operable glass wall to combine the dining and private lounge to allow a sheltered connection to the woods and lake beyond. The private family area is partially embanked into the landscape and set away from the public area, protecting its sleeping quarters and private spaces from the active lifestyle surrounding it.
With a subtle darkened exterior material palate, the Northern Lake Home blends into the forested landscape, while white oak finishes provide a warmth to the minimal and crisp interior that allows the surrounding natural environment to be the highlight.
