A peaceful cabin in the woods.

Designed to embody the concept of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Organic Architecture - this home was conceived as a place where nature, human life, and the built environment support each other and each thrive and are made better by the other.

It was envisioned as a serene and timeless “cabin in the woods” inseparable from the landscape it sits within. As a two-bedroom - 1300sf home located on the escarpment of Door County, it offers the opportunities of a beautiful partially wooded site and a truly sustainable dwelling. Its’ challenge was one most projects have, of budget. We took a laser-focused approach to the program to narrow the rooms down to the most essential. With this approach we were able to maximize the design impact of each space.

Screened porches on each side of the home promote indoor-outdoor living, capturing the sounds of nature and wood-smoke-smell of campfires. With an interior of natural, unpainted plaster walls, wood cabinetry and beams, and polished concrete floors, conservation of materials was foremost in our minds. This led to the clean, natural aesthetic easy on the eyes.

The home is oriented slightly to the Southeast to make the most of natural daylighting year-round, and warmth during the winter. All of the main gathering spaces were arranged along this sunny edge, as it’s a natural human instinct to gravitate toward light-filled rooms. All roof overhangs were designed to minimize the intrusion of the hot sun in the summer months, and maximize it in the winter.

These strategies, along with the essentials of an airtight building envelope and strategic levels of insulation, minimize the energy needed for heating and cooling at the same time as improving the comfort and health of Arnelle, Thomas, and all who come to visit.