Lakeside Retreat.

The lakeside retreat is an extensive two-level addition to an existing modern residence that serves as a weekend retreat.  The program includes a new system of living spaces, two bedroom suites and a garage, as well as a series of outdoor living and recreation spaces.

The site is a large tract of heavily forested property in rural Georgia with a private lake.  The original home was articulated as an abstract cubic volume that is spatially disengaged from the natural setting. The addition is organized to create a stronger sense of interconnection between the interior spaces of the home and the surrounding landscape.  The new living spaces are situated in an arcing volume that sits alongside the existing structure in a manner that defines a formal outdoor living space which is enclosed on three sides. The fourth side opens onto a lawn, beach and ultimately the lake.  The finishes utilized in the living spaces include an exposed structural steel frame, exposed wood timbers, stacked stone and slate flooring.  This palate of natural materials is intended to establish a more meaningful connection to the systems and textures of the natural context.  The new bedrooms are contained within a rectilinear and more abstract volume that draws a formal connection to the language of the original house.  The finishes in the bedroom suites are cleaner and more refined, creating a contrast with the natural finishes in the living spaces.