Tuckey Design Studio have been commissioned to restore and construct a series of residences by the shores of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, USA. The project has recently been granted planning permission.

Originating from a singular 1920’s ‘chalet’, built by an Austrian family who settled in the area five generations ago, additional new builds will complement the restored unique house at the heart of the site. Today, the extended family has outgrown this modest timber clad building, and require additional spaces to gather, entertain, and enjoy the varied Midwest seasons together.

The existing site is a large, secluded woodland hugging the camber of the lake’s beachy shores. New buildings are devised to work harmoniously within this landscape, with natural materials, low slung roofs and considered orientation bedding them into the arboreal site. A large new-build family hall becomes the epicentre for communal family activities, with indoor pool, wellness facilities, dining room, lounge, bar and al fresco kitchen incorporated.

A short walk from the hall, three new residential villas are positioned hidden behind the shoreline, masked by trees, with channelled views across the water. Intended to offer each family guest privacy and seclusion, these villas pay homage to the original ‘chalet’, with wood carved motifs, pitched roofs and vertical timber cladding. Low stone walls announce the base of each building, rising to manifest as benches and chimneys. The stone in turn protects the timber cladding above from the deep winter snow.

The original 1920’s chalet will be restored and sensitively extended to accommodate contemporary family life. The whimsical Austrian vernacular will be celebrated, with discrete ground floor garden extensions better connecting the interior living spaces to the woodland.

Our design team have been collaborating alongside JOMX Architecture (local architect), Joanna Crowley Design & Barbara Barry (interior design) & Craig Bergmann Landscape Design (landscaping).