TWO HOUSES

New Buffalo, Michigan

Role
Design, Rubiostudio

Collaborators
Travis Rukamp, Katherine Simson, Julia Di Castri

On the weekends, a couple had been traveling to southeast Michigan to a property they had purchased 13 years prior. The modest dwelling was situated within a dense forest and a few miles from Lake Michigan. The project began with a small existing cottage, garage and a small plot of land. Because of encroaching old growth trees and root systems threatening the structural stability and moisture control of the building, the initial desire was to move the house.

This move allowed the garage to expand providing livable, swing space. During the collaborative design sessions a second initiative, a new micro guesthouse, became possible by moving lot lines. Michigan had enjoyed a healthy growth in tourism since 2008. There were demands for weekend rentals providing a secondary revenue stream for the property. The property was planned to allow rental on all three buildings at once or variations of occupancy. Stick building with local labor and materials were the methods of construction.