Remote Lake House

The Lake Camp is located on a sloped site on a lake in the Adirondack Mountains. With no road access to the site, everything, (excavators, large timbers, solar panels, etc.), must be floated in by small boat or raft. As the site is off-the-grid, the camp’s limited electrical requirements run off of a removed solar field that uses an area cleared for the septic field.

This Adirondack Lake has been in the client’s family for 5 generations. The camp is elevated in the trees and touches lightly on the sloping ground below. The basic building system is wood-clad timber frame. Natural light is paramount. Only materials in their rawest serviceable form, as locally sourced as is possible, are used in the construction.
With a footprint of less than 600 square feet, the Lake Camp accommodates two bedrooms and sleeps up to six people. The main space extends out to the deck and landscape beyond with a 9 x 12 foot window and large door. The upper loft bedroom has a view towards the up-sloping rocky mountainside to the North. Built-in bunk beds create a spatial division between the loft and kitchen/living/dining space below.
Through ingenuity, creativity and great attention to detail, the Lake Camp was built almost entirely by a single person on a site ripe with challenges. The resulting building amplifies the landscape through great respect for the site and a careful consideration of constraints, which helped to inspire the design.

Project type: Single Family Residential
Size: 603 sf + 180 sf loft + 212 sf deck

Location: Remote Adirondack Mountain lake
Accessible only by boat

Client: Three generations of a family

Completion date: June 2020

Total construction cost: Approximately $350,000.00

Design + Construction Timeline: 2010-2017

Sustainable Design Principles:
Off-the-grid
Hand built
Sustainable, natural, local materials
Wood heated
Minimal tree removal
No adhesives
Solar powered
Zero-low VOC finish
Natural indigo dyed custom fabric
Natural local wool mattresses and cushions

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN NARRATIVE
Integration
The Remote Lake Camp is designed for integration. Site relationships are primary design concept and are implemented throughout the design process. The camp is built on a densely wooded lot and implemented the most minimal tree removal possible for construction. The Remote Lake Camp sits lightly on the land, allowing the existing ecosystem to flow beneath it. Beauty and delight were design goals and are realized through the rich circulation from boat dock to the camp, through the materiality and through the detailing.

Community
Community interaction and engagement has played an important part in the design and construction process of the Remote Lake Camp. Alternate transportation is used to get to the site, as the lake has
no road access. A community trail runs through the site to encourage casual interactions. The larger lake community was consulted and approved the design prior to construction.

Ecology
The local ecology is respected and protected in the Remote Lake Camp. Touching lightly on the ground with only the most minimal sub ground disturbance, the camp attempts to leave the local ecology intact. Restoring the original landscape of large boulders, ferns, moss and native grasses was of the utmost importance. Only native plant species have been replanted, with the goal of having the camp feel like it is fully integrated into the existing landscape.

Water
Water is pumped directly from the lake, which is fed from rivers, snow melt and rainfall. A sustainable filtration system is used to purify the water at the kitchen faucet for drinking. Low flow fixtures are used as well.

Economy
Designing for economy of need has been a driving principal of the Remote Lake Camp. Spaces are designed to be as small as possible while providing nourishing comfort. Rough sawn local wood is the primary material, giving warmth and richness to the spaces. Natural light floods the camp and makes electrical lights redundant except in the darkest hours. In just over 780 square feet, the camp houses 5 people comfortably.

Energy
The Remote Lake Camp uses renewable energy sources for almost entirely for operation. Solar panels on a removed solar field will provide power for the water pump and minimal electricity needs of daily life. Energy efficient glazing is used throughout.

Wellness
The abundance of natural unfinished wood, zero-low VOC finishes, wood heat, natural light and passive solar design all influence the overall wellness of the inhabitants. Cooking and sharing meals is designed as a central experience that is bracketed by glazing on two sides and natural wood on the others. The camp embraces interior space while simultaneously connecting to the landscape beyond.

Resources
The life cycle analysis of the building is extremely sustainable. Local hemlock was custom milled at a nearby mill and trucked a minimal distance to the site. Materials were procured to result in as little waste as possible. By using sustainably harvested wood, the building is reducing the carbon footprint that would otherwise occurs from the same trees decaying in the forest. Any trees that had to be removed in the construction process are used as heat energy in the cooler months. Sustainable materials and products were used throughout including, natural indigo dyed custom fabric, natural local wool mattresses and cushions and sustainably harvested local wood.