Situated on two adjacent waterfront lots, Side x Side Retreat is a pair of neighboring lake homes that explore the relationship between connection and independence. While each residence functions as a distinct family retreat, both were conceived as parts of a unified architectural composition—sharing a common language of materials, proportion, and detailing while responding individually to their sites, views, and patterns of daily living.
The narrow waterfront parcels became the project's defining design opportunity. Rather than treating the constrained sites as limitations, the architecture embraces their linear geometry to create efficient floor plans that extend toward the lake. Living spaces unfold along carefully organized axes, allowing natural light, prevailing breezes, and expansive water views to shape the experience of each home. Rooms are carefully aligned to frame the landscape, introduce daylight deep into the interiors, and promote natural cross-ventilation, creating homes that feel open, expansive, and closely connected to their surroundings.
Although designed for two different families, the residences were never intended to be identical. Instead, they were developed as complementary pieces of a single architectural composition. Shared materials, proportions, and architectural detailing establish a cohesive identity across both homes, while subtle variations respond to each site's orientation, landscape, and desired level of privacy. This balance between consistency and individuality allows the homes to relate to one another without sacrificing their own character.
Native limestone walls establish the architectural identity of each residence while organizing movement through the homes. These substantial walls create privacy at the street, define a gallery-like circulation spine, and frame a sequence of carefully composed views toward courtyards, terraces, and the lake beyond. As occupants move through the interiors, moments of compression give way to openness, reinforcing a gradual transition between enclosed living spaces and the surrounding landscape. The permanence and texture of the limestone anchor the project within its setting while providing a quiet backdrop for everyday life.
Outdoor living is central to the experience of both homes. Screened porches, covered terraces, and sunrooms extend daily living toward the water, creating comfortable outdoor rooms that can be enjoyed throughout the seasons. Large openings strengthen the relationship between architecture and landscape, capturing prevailing breezes while allowing interior and exterior spaces to flow seamlessly together. Rather than functioning as secondary amenities, these outdoor spaces are fully integrated into the homes, supporting everyday activities and encouraging a deeper connection to the lake.
A restrained palette of native limestone, standing-seam metal cladding, and durable, low-maintenance materials gives the project a timeless character rooted in its environment. Every design decision was guided by a balance between openness and privacy, efficiency and comfort, permanence and simplicity. The result is a pair of neighboring homes that feel both distinct and connected—an architectural response that transforms the constraints of narrow waterfront sites into an opportunity for thoughtful planning, enduring materials, and a contemporary interpretation of lakeside living.
