Lake Residence

This lake house in Chelsea is a nautical anchorage for the soul, built with industrial ingenuity, and confidence, smoothed with splashes of luxury and nips of playfulness. 

Completed in 2019 some of the unique challenges for this project included the property; its odd shape; dealing contextually with smaller cottages to the east, a steep natural slope; and capitalizing on the panoramic views.  Another major consideration was embellishing the house’s nautical sensation of movement in cadence with the site. 

Our solution involved a rounded nautical envelope that embraced the site without making use of literal or themed components. Two angled wings stretch towards the shoreline, maximizing and securing lake views. The hinge center axis anchors the wings and provides panoramic views that expand as one climbs to the upper-level loft. This movement-inspired layout establishes a dynamic hierarchy of focus ranging from the lake in the foreground to more distant vistas. 

All rooms revolve around the main event: the view to the lake which climaxes with the central radiating great room and semicircular outside deck. The great room ceiling is supported by gently emerging steel beams, exemplifying the sense of industrialized nautical architecture. Surrounding the great room are the primary socializing spaces—dining and kitchen; each a radial extension of the central great room.  Exposed timber collar ties frame the master bedroom’s tray ceiling while evoking a ship timber aesthetic.  

The upper floor “captain’s chair” loft, complete with panoramic lakeside windows, a private deck with the best possible lake views, radiating metal ceiling panels riveted to evoke a metal boat hull, and a wood veneer floor compass inlay. 

A whiskey “shed” balances the lake view looking back towards the house as its shed roof works to bring the scale of the house down more in tune with the adjacent neighboring cottages. 

St. Vladimir

St. Vladimir Russian Orthodox Church in Dexter is experiencing significant growth, presenting a positive challenge for the church community. In response, we have developed a phased Master Plan that addresses both current and anticipated future expansion. The plan includes:  

Phase 1:  Expansion of parking lots Construction of driveways Addition of a storage building (completed)

Phase 2:  Construction of a new cathedral 

Phase 3:  Development of a new fellowship hall

Lake Michigan Residence

The owners of this new residence prioritized the seamless integration of architecture with the natural site. Their vision was for the house to harmonize with the surrounding sand dunes, and they insisted on preserving existing trees near the exterior walls, aiming for a design that appeared as if it had always been part of the landscape. Height was strategically considered to potentially offer views of Lake Michigan to the west and Duck Lake to the east.

Recognizing the kitchen as the heart of the home, it was strategically placed at the center as a circular cylinder. After exploring various layouts for this unique site, the final design features two rectangular sections connected by a central hinge. The circular kitchen, both symbolically and functionally, serves as the focal point that unites the two adjoining rectangles, creating a cohesive and harmonious architectural expression.

Chelsea Residence

The owner of this house is a builder and he wanted the finished product to showcase his work. Located in farming country where silo’s are abundant, they were used in this design to demark special locations; the main entrance, a hot tub room, and a pool changing room. The two main volumes delineate the master suite and kids bedrooms with the great room and dining as the connecting space between. The curving glass great room wall along with a recreation room below it overlook the outdoor swimming pool. A guest house with garage below completes the ensemble. The exterior rain screen is constructed of recycled wood decking, with a standing seam metal roof and an accent stone wall.

Chelsea Concessions Stand

The Booster Club of Chelsea High School found great success in fundraising through concession sales during athletic events, but the demand had outgrown their existing facilities. Our project addressed this need by creating a new concession building. This facility features roll-up windows for customer service, a small warming kitchen, a walk-in cooler, and a toilet room. The design incorporates split-face block construction and a sloping asphalt shingle roof, harmonizing with the nearby ticket building and enhancing the overall aesthetic of the athletic facilities.