A two-story section of an existing house on the lake was retained as an anchor point, from which conceptually the new house design materialized. To differentiate new from old, the new structure was skewed by 5 degrees. A long sweeping arc of windows follows the shoreline to the west. These elements give the house an eclectic modern feel in keeping with the mix of original cottages and newer modern homes dotting the neighborhood. An internal spline divides the living areas with views to the lake from the more utilitarian spaces. This spline carries up to the second floor as a bridge connecting a linear row of bedrooms. A greenhouse with a roof that tips upward in a salute to the south allows the sun to drench the space. The flat low roof of the four-car garage helps to minimize its mass and allow the house itself to rise above it. The landscape between the house and the street is designed in the manner of an English Ha-ha with grass and cut stone terraces giving way to a long plain for grass tennis courts. The landscaping at the lakeside terraces down to a large grassy area that leads to the lake.

ARCHITECT: Swanson Meads Architects