hOUSE ON A LAKe
ARCHITECT: ARTMA INTERIORS: ARTMA LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Greenleaf Design PHOTOS: Ryan Bent
This multi-generational family house sits on old farmland with expansive views of Lake Champlain to the east. The multi-building farmstead organization creates a garden courtyard pocketed between the L-shaped house and the separate barn building, providing glimpses of nature from the house's main rooms. The long pitched roof form, wood siding and exposed roof rafter details are inspired by the vernacular farm buildings found in the surrounding area.
A variety of proportions and ceiling heights are used to break down the house’s large size. The kitchen, dining and living areas are linked by an open floor plan that is anchored by a large Vermont Panton stone fireplace, inspired by the fieldstone fireplaces of old local farmhouses. The ash ceiling slats pay homage to the site's abundance of ash trees and provide acoustic dampening within the high vaulted space. Regional oak, ash and pine are used for the interior woodwork, paired with stone from Vermont and Virginia.
The sleeping areas, connected by a double-height circulation path and stair, are located in the northern section of the house, providing acoustic and visual separation from the living areas in the eastern section.
The house is designed to maximize longevity with a super-insulated building envelope, large roof overhangs to protect the facade, and highly efficient MEP systems.