We designed this house to sit on a spit of land on a northern lake. The road to the site emerges from the woods in a cedar clearing. Through the cedars, one can see the distinctive roofline of the house. The structure is tucked into the side of the hill and we enter at the basement level, which is finished with a mudroom, laundry, spare bedroom and bathroom. Up the stairs we find ourselves in a living room with a vaulted ceiling and many windows overlooking the water. A fireplace anchors one end of the room and a galley kitchen the other end. The separate master suite enjoys a view south over the lake, and a screened porch big enough for a dinner table lets us enjoy the evening breeze. A second floor with a pair of bedrooms rises over the main roof.

Each room is "tuned" to the landscape with windows and balconies facing the major views. Deep eaves and a metal roof shed snow and rain well away from the walls. The deep olive colour of the siding means that the house disappears into the forest canopy.