Like a Phoenix from the flame

The original Arts and Crafts style house [B1] was amazing. The home was designed around the clients’ art collection. It was glorious.

Unfortunately a fire destroyed the original home [not once, but twice]. Despite the fact that the original house was gone, the homeowners continued to use the lake front property for recreation [minus the house]. Rod developed a deep friendship with this amazing couple that took them on a journey of helping design their next home at a different location [B2], renovating their commercial offices, and even advice on finishes/furniture for their condo in Chicago.

Rod went on to design two more homes on the same lake for family [B3] and friends [W House] of the original couple. With every visit to the new homes, Rod would stare at the remains of the original house and dream.

After more than a decade of sitting empty, the clients finally decided to build a new B4 house that would rise from the ashes. They wanted a twist though: forget the Arts and Crafts style and design an entirely new house in a very modern style once again designed around their art collection. Adding yet another twist, Rod was also tasked with reusing the original helical pile foundations (which were not damaged in the fire). New fire-resistant materials of steel and concrete were used to minimize the risk of any future fire.

The new design floats above the water.

Going from a very traditional to an extreme modern design shows the evolution of not only the site, but also the evolution of the design aesthetic of this amazingly adventurous couple.