Jeff Jordan Architects LLC

Higgins Lake House

HIGGINS LAKE HOUSE

Jeff Jordan Architects: Jeff Jordan Architects LLC

Higgins Lake House

ARCHITECTS
Jeff Jordan Architects: Jeff Jordan Architects LLC

PHOTOGRAPHS
Jeff Garland Photography

AREA
4800.0 ft2

YEAR
2011

LOCATION
Roscommon, United States

CATEGORY
Houses

Higgins Lake House
© Jeff Garland Photography
Higgins Lake House
© Jeff Garland Photography

Text description provided by architect.

Many families in Michigan share a tradition of spending weekends and vacations in cottages adjacent to the state’s collection of lakes.

Higgins Lake is considered one of the most spectacular of the inland lakes and the empty-nester’s who commissioned this cottage wanted to be able to share this resource with their large family and many friends. In order to do so, they requested a large gathering area for cooking, eating and relaxing and space to sleep twenty adults.

Given the relatively large size of the cottage compared to the neighboring houses, the central challenge of this project is fitting a large building onto a narrow site without overwhelming the neighbors, but still taking advantage of the views.

Higgins Lake House
© Jeff Garland Photography
Higgins Lake House
© Jeff Garland Photography

Our solution locates the house in the center of the site and breaks the overall volume of the building down into four smaller volumes to better incorporate it into the surroundings.

Additionally, this strategy brings substantial amounts of light and air into every room of the house while allowing for views out to the lake and surrounding forest.

Higgins Lake House
© Jeff Garland Photography
Higgins Lake House
© Jeff Garland Photography

The living quarters and master suite are located above grade while the remaining bedrooms are partially buried to further diminish the apparent size of the house.

The living quarters have a large expanse of glass facing the lake and additional glazing along the south side of the house to take advantage of passive heating in the winter.

Higgins Lake House
Higgins Lake House
© Jeff Garland Photography

A large deck on the lake side of the house provides views while extending living space in the warmer months.


Higgins Lake House
© Jeff Garland Photography
Higgins Lake House
© Jeff Garland Photography
Higgins Lake House
© Jeff Garland Photography


Higgins Lake House
© Jeff Garland Photography
Higgins Lake House
© Jeff Garland Photography
Higgins Lake House
© Jeff Garland Photography


Higgins Lake House
Lower Plan
Higgins Lake House
Main Plan


Higgins Lake House
Diagram
Higgins Lake House
Diagram
Higgins Lake House
Diagram

Jeff Jordan Architects LLC
T +1 646 7530000
Jeff Jordan Architects LLC
72 Park Ave #3, Rutherford, NJ 07070, United States