CARLYON RESIDENCE . Traverse City, MI

This 3,000 square foot residence is set within two acres bound by dense trees, but open to a view of Grand Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan. The landscape and view directly informed the geometry and spatial organization of the home. From the approach through a thick grove of trees to an open sunlit yard, to movement through the interior spaces, the residence is experienced as an orchestrated procession of views. The intent was that view and space is slowly revealed as one moves deeper into the site, and then further into the home itself.

The west façade one views on approach, is intended to be a ‘formal front’, a collage of solid and opaque materials layered together to express separations in program, but revealing little of what is inside. The horizontal batten cedar cladding is cut open and lifted to become a louvered sunscreen for the double height entry space, which glows like a lantern in the evening. Utilitarian spaces such as garage, laundry, and bathrooms occupy this façade, granting prominence to more important functions to take advantage of the view. This gives the home a compelling duality that works both environmentally and programmatically. The mostly solid and louvered southwest exposures protect against summer sun, whilst the open and glassy east façade welcomes daylight in the morning and provides breathtaking views from the living and master bedroom spaces.

The double height entry space becomes the fulcrum, uniting two equally important, but programmatically different public and private wings of the home. Boundaries of inside and outside are blurred. From the entry, green slate paving continues out to a patio, becoming an outdoor room open only to the bay view beyond. Cherry flooring continues out to cedar deck, and clerestory windows invite views of the tree canopy above. As one travels through the home, every movement is terminated with a view of the outside, extending the perceived spatial boundaries.

All photos © Glen Rauth Photography except slides 1,4,5 and 6 by STUDIOrobert jamieson