HOUSE 12 + 13
Two complementary homes that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts.
Designed on adjoining sites located along a lake in Northern Michigan, House 12 and House 13 are complementary (rather than opposing) light-filled lake homes that prioritize views of the landscape and spaces for family to gather. The houses illustrate the juxtaposition of the curve and the line, of the horizontal and the vertical, and of the concave and convex.
House 12, shown in plan to the right, is bordered by curved exterior walls that soften the house’s silhouette. Like the irregularity of a curve, the plan is uniquely shaped as corners become curves. In geometry, House 12’s plan would be categorized as a concave shape, as its form appears to be carved out.
House 12 is guided by horizontal circulation. Continuing the concept of the unassuming curve, House 12 is vertically capped by a slowly sloping roof.
House 12
Inward-looking
Fold
New
Short-Term
Curves
Single story
House 13, in comparison, is governed by sharp, strong corners and angles. Whereas House 12 is guided by the shape of its plan, House 13 is guided by the shape of its elevation. Outlined by a steep asymmetrical roof, the house’s angular massing is sturdy and prominent.
Outward-looking
Unfold
Classic
Long-Term
Lines
Tri-level
House 13, in contrast to House 12, is designed as a rectangular plan and utilizes vertical circulation to separate spaces. The verticality of the design is continued through the board and batten siding functioning as vertical slat screening, illustrated on the section at the entry (1) and balcony (10).
