A Minnesota couple with ties to western Michigan was drawn to the coastal landscape of the great lake for a vacation home. Central to the design response is the lake and sky. Both are ever changing in their force and beauty, countered by the powerful constant of the horizon. On a calm and sunny day, the lake and sky invite visitors to relax or play, but when either turns wild, they can necessitate shelter and retreat. Flanked by homes of boxy, centralized mass, the Third Coast Beach House is conceptually split apart by the elements, resulting in programmatic bars splayed to focus views on the horizon and away from neighboring homes. At the center of this split is a transparent porch capable of complete enclosure, screen-ventilation, or direct access to the elements. The splayed plan is raised on a plinth to elevate the main level activities, inside and out, to hover just above the undulating dune grass.
