2017 Best of Design Awards for Residential

2017 Best of Design Award for Residential – Single-Unit: Michigan Lake House

Architect: Desai Chia Architecture with Environment Architects
Location: Leelanau County, Michigan

Perched on a woodland bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, this home is an assemblage of three offset structures—the “gathering” structure with a 20-foot cantilever-covered “vista” seating terrace, two “sleeping” structures, and a dining area breezeway that connects all three structures. The roofscape has gentle undulations that follow the movement of the natural terrain and make a playful reference to the vernacular architecture of nearby fishing villages. The exterior is finished in shou sugi ban, or Japanese charred wood. The charred texture and the modulation of deep facade members enhance the shadows across the surface as the sun rises and sets. The firm also reclaimed dying ash trees from the site and milled them down to be used as interior finishes and custom furniture throughout the house—a nod to the indigenous landscape.

“That house really upends alot of the expectations one would have when looking at a house. Once inside, these unique details and volumetric gymnastics define the interiors in many interesting ways as well, while maintaining a home-like sense of warmth and scale.” – Matt Shaw, Senior Editor, The Architect’s Newspaper (juror)

Structural:
Apex Engineering & Management

Mechanical:
Bayshore Engineering

Lighting:
Christine Sciulli Light + Design

Landscape Architect:
Surface Design

Contractor:
Easling Construction Company

Honorable Mention

Project: Constant Springs Residence
Architect: Alterstudio Architecture
Location: Austin, Texas

Constant Springs Residence offers the opportunity to live simultaneously in the center of the city and in an isolated refuge. A magnificent live oak passes through the cedar ceiling, and an ipe deck permits the penetration of water. A second opening in the ceiling invites light and rain deep into the house’s core.

Honorable Mention

Project: Upstate Teahouse
Architect: Tsao & McKown
Location: Pound Ridge, New York

Upstate Teahouse was inspired by traditional Japanese architecture. It is formed of exposed heavy timber construction, which reduces the need for interior walls and opens the plan. Within the open plan, variations of proportion and light produce subtle rhythmic effects—such as two large, asymmetrical skylights that break up the flat roof.

Alterstudio Architecture AN Awards Best of Design Awards Best of Design Awards 2017