Designed by: Studio Robert Jamieson
Location: Traverse City, MI
Photography: Glen Rauth Photography and Studio Robert Jamieson

A house made of a layered mosaic of solid and opaque elements. In the morning, the glassy façade welcomes daylight and affords stunning views of the lake.

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.

The living area features cherry hardwood floors, a wall-mounted wooden fireplace, and clerestory windows that provide views of the tree canopy above.

An open-concept kitchen, dining, and living room. Cherry wood is typically utilized for flooring, dining tables, and furniture.

Kicthen demonstrates a simple design of the cupboards, appliances, and island. The wood elements create a warm atmosphere, and the huge windows let in plenty of natural light.

This kitchen has a mix of wood cabinetry and metal appliances and fixtures that complement each other wonderfully, resulting in an exquisite design.

A pathway from the stairs leads to the terrace, which has cherry flooring and a mix of metal and wood railings. With large windows to enjoy the scenery outside.

A light-filled bedroom with big windows that make the space feel larger and provide uninterrupted views of the lake.

The bathroom features a deep soaking tub, a walk-in shower, travertine flooring, wood cabinetry, and an undermount sink with a full-width mirror.

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 residence is seen as a choreographed sequence of views, from the approach via a dense grove of trees to an open sunny yard, to movement through the internal spaces.

The first floor plan of the bayvview house.

The second floor plan of the bayvview house.

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.