Pear Lake Camp

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Project Type: New Build

Sponsors: ORIJIN STONE (stonework)

The clients have a deep emotional connection to their wooded lakeside lot in northern Wisconsin. The cabin began as a one-room timber-framed cabin built by hand in the 1990s, with a bunkhouse and a ”party barn” added over time to entertain guests. They now desired a larger cabin with a full kitchen and additional bedrooms that respected their established patterns of activities.

The original cabin was relocated on the site further inland, and a new home was designed with modern amenities while still maintaining a cozy cabin feel. The cabin is located on a peninsula with 180-degree views of the lake. The windows were strategically placed to maximize lake views, provide natural light, and facilitate cross breezes. Structural insulated panels (SIPs) were used on the roof and exterior insulation on the walls to prevent thermal bridging and increase energy efficiency.

As a nod to the original cabin, the new cabin incorporates timber framing (no nails or metal connections!) in the kitchen/great room. Those spaces are designed as the main gathering space with food prep as a shared activity. The great room seating is open to kitchen for easy conversation and bookended by views of the lake and a stone fireplace on the other side.

The entry is nestled between two gables and opens to an inviting dining room table and a framed view of the lake.The owner’s suite is on the ground level, allowing the clients to age in place, and the lower-level guest bedrooms and three-sided screen porch all offer views of the lake.

AIA Framework for Design Excellence: Design for Well-Being & Energy

Pear Lake Camp incorporates many elements of Design for Well-Being throughout the cabin. Strategically placed windows bring in a large amount of natural light at different times of the day and increase the connection between inside and out. The screen porch offers inhabitants the ability to be outdoors in inclement weather, further increasing access to nature throughout the year. Human connection and ease of use was at the forefront of the design for both the client and the architect. The new cabin creates easy connections between living and dining spaces, which increases social harmony.

Design for Energy was featured through both the selection of materials and site placement. The architect incorporated thermally modified wood cladding that uses domestically sourced wood with a cellular composition that is altered by heat and steam (chemical free) to make it hydrophobic, which is much more rot resistant. Structurally insulated panels (SIPs) are used in the roof for their continuous insulation to eliminate thermal bridging caused by traditional framing. Exterior Insulation with integrated wall sheathing (ZIP System R) is used on the exterior to reduce thermal bridging caused by traditional framing. The original cabin was also reused, but repositioned further inland on the site to reduce the overall footprint of the project.

What is the AIA Framework for Design Excellence? Learn more »