Expansion of a villa on Lake Michigan. A Cottage resting on the dunes

An old home situated inside a dune site on the shores of Lake Michigan has been renovated and expanded according to a project by the Von Weise Associates studio, which has transformed it into a large cottage of almost 5000 square meters

In order to facilitate the reconstruction of the house within the limited and critical dune site, the original foundation and scale are maintained. New space is added outside the reserved areas to accommodate six bedrooms and additional entertainment areas for the three generations of an extended family

The house, with its high and solid volumes, is deeply rooted into the dune landscape, among the trees away from the lake. The house shields the view of the water which you can only have a limited view over the glass entrance that overlooks the forest

As the spaces move towards the water they become more transparent following the slope of the ground and incorporating the dune into the external circulation. This gradual transition from solid to transparent, from forest to water, allows for movement through the house similar to what happens outside along the dune to the beach

The views were carefully considered so that each interior space has its own view of the lake, while maintaining a feeling of solitude. The external spaces, descending towards the lake, are extensions both of the interior of the house and of the landscape itself. The surrounding environment becomes an architectural element, so the critical aspects of the dune site are rewritten as details that embellish the project