The clients of architectural firm Min – Day initially desired a vacation home that was ‘all about the lake,’ however, it is pretty clear that this modern design almost outshines the natural beauty. Hiding behind a beautiful canopy of oak trees and 2.5 hours away from the nearest metropolitan area, Lake Okoboji acts as an oasis for this rural community. With this popular resort area, the obstacle of a dense shoreline and collection of old cottages and new mansions being built presented itself.

The solution was to create a 6000sf house that behaves as a 3-dimensional set of ‘blinders’ excluding neighbors, and creating a sense of total privacy within the house itself. Volumetrically simple from the exterior, opaque and slatted vertical Ipe clads a stacked set of spatial tubes (the primary living spaces) that are open to the lake and woods views. Passing through the house, one moves from areas of density to spaces with a lighter feel, bouncing between uses of color and texture – all used in separating public to more privately used spaces.

Reference: Chictip