This remarkably light yet private home is a recent project on the outskirts of Duluth. Its swooping rooftops are all one can see from the cul de sac above. They launch the house over the surrounding woodland while drawing natural daylight inside. Two courtyards –one featuring the site’s unmovable boulder —anchor the house in self-sheltering forms.
We blur the transition from outside in with large window walls and a continuous soffit/ceiling surface. The reflective stucco of the soffit continues inside as ceiling to the adjoining space; an excellent design feature for houses in dark latitudes.
Inside, we used the clients’ palette of elemental stone (honed & rough Corinthian granite from Vermont), wood (gum floor and quarter-sawn anagre veneered cabinets), and glass/ tile representing water.