Natural light and fresh air pours in through the six windows (each three feet wide by six and a half feet tall) that pattern both sides of the home. “We picked out this size because it’s the biggest you could buy and still be standard,” says Boardman, mindful that custom windows cost a whole lot more. Photo on left by Sally Schoolmaster; photo on right, courtesy Atelier Waechter.
At the rear of the house, the garage and the adjacent warehouse form a secluded courtyard the owners enjoy as an extension of the dining room.
Inside one of the cabins, flaunting built-in seating that is perfect for reading.
“We drag chairs out there in the summer, hang out, and watch the kids ride their bikes around,” says Crymes. “It’s like a front porch.”
Instead of installing a typical cement slab driveway, Waechter and Crymes opted for concrete pavers mixed with patches of Corsican mint that let rainwater permeate into the ground.
Architect Ben Waechter wrapped the upper floor of Nick Oakley’s house in inexpensive black corrugated steel. By rounding the corners, Waechter avoided unsightly trim at the edges.
Where the New Buffalo Residence now stands on a wooded lot by the shores of Lake Michigan, there used to be a serpentine ranch house with perplexingly small windows, none of which pointed toward the water. The homeowners had used it as a vacation retreat for over 30 years before an expanding family—and guest list—led them to approach architecture firm Booth Hansen for a fresh design.