This Mexican Lake House Is All About the Views

The owner of this property came to Hoedemaker Pfeiffer looking for a personal retreat inspired by a home lost to fire decades earlier in the hills of Appalachia. The firm’s task was not to recreate that home but rather to give its spirit new form in the Pacific Northwest. Taking inspiration from its remote site in the San Juan Islands, our team envisioned a series of simple stone volumes. From that concept emerged the main house and a guest house, each responding to its own unique location on the site. Together they provide friends and family with comfortable accommodation while offering a sanctuary for the owner at the main home. Taking full advantage of sweeping views of Puget Sound, the main home is sited on a small plateau high on top of a steeply-sloping hillside. With a view on one side and a road on the other, the site suggested a stone plinth and stone wall to form the base and rear of the house. A pair of stone fireplace volumes support the concept, rising together to form the boundaries of a central stone staircase that separates the main level into public and private realms. Atop the low stone base then perches a light-filled wood structure. Its simple shed roof tips low in front to protect from the summer sun while offering space for a photovoltaic array above. Winter light in turn penetrates deep into the main living spaces through a wall of glass running continuously across building’s south elevation. The relative height difference between this wood pavilion and that of the adjacent stone volume also allows consistent north light to flood into the primary living spaces via a series of clerestory windows, which release warm air high on the leeward side of the structure. The site for the guest house came with more significant technical challenges. The concept begins with a stone tower set near the center of the small circular parcel. Rising high above steeply-sloping grade, it acts as a three-dimensional datum through which feature program elements are allowed to puncture. The main entry offers ease of access to the project’s public spaces through a simple, full-height opening cut into the stone volume’s north elevation. The stair, comprised of a concrete base below large casement windows, allows natural light to fill the main stairway as it leads guests toward the bedrooms located at the home’s lower level. Opposite the entry, the view deck extends from the great room, cantilevering far above grade. The dining room, finally, was conceived as a three-sided glass object floating in a forest of trees. Two steel beams carry its entire weight and extend deep into the floor system. To enhance the concept, our team preserved trees only a few feet from the dining room by developing custom retaining walls capable of avoiding critical root zones. Project Team: Hoedemaker Pfeiffer (Architecture) ​Schuchart Dow​ (Contractor ​Randy Allworth, Allworth Design​ (Landscape Architect) ​Malsam Tsang​ (Structural Engineer) ​LPD Engineering​ (Civil Engineer) Nelson Geotechnical Associates, Inc. (Geotechnical Engineer) Island Tree Doctor (Arborist) ​Kevin Scott​ (Photographer)

Located opposite McCrae beach on the Mornington Peninsula, McCrae House 1 & 2 were designed with the intention for each home to have a unique street presence, and simultaneously appear in balance. The adjacent layouts are individual to each home, with consideration given to creating absolute privacy through staggered outdoor areas and thoughtful screening. Fluid functionality is experienced throughout the homes’ interiors, where warm palettes and strong forms echo the front facades. McCrae House 1 & 2 are the ultimate in relaxed coastal living. Commissioned to achieve great design & a quality build outcome, McCrae House 1 and McCrae House 2 will be for sale to astute buyers this Spring. McCrae House 1 – The Power of Shapes McCrae House 1 can simply be described as a comfortable home with its own identity, adjacent the pristine waters of McCrae Beach. The shapes, pleasing in placement, create selective privacy and an undeniable street presence. ‘L’ formed glazing views from a second downstairs Master to the swimming pool. A courtyard flanked study fills with light, beckoning the user, while a walkthrough laundry streamlines access points from garage to main living. But the enjoyment of the home goes beyond fluid living that has been considered in all its aspects. There is something in the balance of the shapes that reaches serenity. It could be placement, scale, even movement – but ultimately it’s the moments they create. Unique daily living experiences that are certainly comfortable – edging closer to luxury. McCrae House 2 – The Play of Light McCrae House 2 resides on a tangible diagonal to the beachfront McCrae Lighthouse. Sculptural batten placement heroes the treetop and lighthouse aspect across Nepean Highway from the upper storey. Sunlight pierces the patterned barrier, an evolving mood, differentiated by the time of day. A private courtyard resides at the ground level transition zone between street frontage and main living area – a reflective space with its own light and aspect. From the warmth of the timber kitchen a scullery is revealed beyond a pivot door. Around the corner a flood of light appears directed from the glazed door of the walkthrough laundry. Relaxed and coastal, the natural timber battens of the front façade shift and space to quietly reveal a home affected by the pattern of sunlight in the most intriguing way.

Hygge Supply completed this ultimate kit home in June 2019 and began offering overnight stays to potential clients and design enthusiasts on July 1. Designed and built with the intention of being an experiential showroom for potential clients, Hygge Supply founder and designer, Kelly Sean Karcher, envisioned the home to incorporate those materials and products that fell in line both aesthetically and ethically with principles of the Hygge Supply brand. “I wanted this home to highlight the best of Hygge Supply. That included visually the design of the home, practically with the simplicity of the systems used to construct the home, and lastly, with the products and materials we used in the home. We wanted to partner with companies who shared not only a similar design philosophy, but that also were environmentally responsible and sustainable,” Karcher stated. Karcher and team partnered with several different companies to bring the home to life. On the exterior, Hygge Supply partnered with Thermory for the responsibly sourced, chemical-free spruce cladding. Hygge also used Marvin for all windows and doors in the home, which are produced in the US using environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. On the interior, Hygge partnered with sustainable architectural material distributor, Cara Green, to source solid surface Durat countertops, which are made from 30-50% recycled hard plastics and are 100% recyclable. Low-VOC C2 Luxe paint was used throughout the home. All cabinets, vanities, and kitchen islands are designed and produced by Hygge Supply, using no-VOC powder coat finishes. Hygge Supply partnered exclusively with Rove Concepts for the interior furnishings. With a focus on modern contemporary and Nordic designs, Rove Concepts aligned with the Scandinavian inspiration that drove Karcher to develop Hygge Supply. “I was drawn to the clean lines and neutral tones of Rove Concepts. The design of the furniture felt like it could be a natural extension of the home,” Karcher said. “At Hygge Supply, we believe in comfortable minimalism and Rove Concepts really offered that to us in statement pieces that were warm and inviting and could stand on their own.” Hygge Supply also partnered with Fermob to furnish the exterior, creating an inviting and elegant outdoor living and dining area in the large covered porch. Followers of the company can book a visit to the 3 bedroom (there is a bunk space), 2.5 bathroom house managed by the short-term rental arm of the company Hygge Stay. Take a look at our Collections category to book through Dwell Travel.

Each kit comes with a miniature model, two prints, and plans for building a shady backyard shelter in about a weekend’s time.

The image of a house attached to thousands of colorful balloons and floating into the air…