Autumn Home + Design • Addison Independent, Thursday, October 5, 2017 — PAGE 1C
Photography by Jim Westphalen
HOME + DESIGN
SET INTO A hillside on the shores of Lake Dunmore, the “Cantilever House” was architect Brian Mac’s solution to maximizing lake views on a long narrow lot.
Contents Thinking outside the box...............................................................................................................1 Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation welcomes Wood Energy Coordinator...............5 Make the most of limited space.................................................................................................5 Make it a green winter with these energy-saving tips.........................................................5 Vt. reminder: smoke alarms save lives......................................................................................6 Reduce cold-weather fire risk.....................................................................................................6 What is meant by a ‘smart home?’............................................................................................7 What to do next when a project stalls......................................................................................7 Custom millwork can add appeal and a classic feel..............................................................7 Tackle these 5 projects this fall..................................................................................................9 Bring more warmth to your home this fall ..............................................................................9 Chimney maintenance should be a part of home safety.....................................................10 Contemplating antiques? ...........................................................................................................11 Here’s how to buy.........................................................................................................................11 Must-have kitchen remodel features .....................................................................................12 Make rooms serve double duty.................................................................................................12 Fall lawn care tips........................................................................................................................13 Bold colors add vitality to homes.............................................................................................14
Thinking outside the box
A Vermont architect reimagines a Lake Dunmore camp By LISA LYNN LEICESTER — The most innovative architecture can come from solving complex problems: tiny lots, stringent setbacks, limited views, the need to survive winters sitting empty, and a preconceived notion of what a “camp” is. Say the word “camp” and you might envision a deer camp in the woods above Lincoln, or a cottage on Fern Lake. When Brian Mac, the principal architect behind Birdseye, a design and build firm out of Huntington, was set to the task of building a “camp” on Lake Dunmore, he thought about it very differently. The house bears as much resemblance to what sat there before it as an iPhone does to a teletype machine. Entirely contemporary, minimalist and stunning, its two buildings seem to cascade down the steep hillside—steps of matte
black metal framework and glass walls, alternating like slabs of rock and reflecting pools. The size of the main house, 2,300 sq. ft., is masked by the fact that it is recessed into the hillside. The living area is on the lowest level with a giant kitchen that opens out to the deck and western views of the lake. Two smaller bedrooms and bath sit on this level too. Upstairs, the main bedroom looks right out on the lake, with a master bath and closet behind it and a screened in porch to the north, in the overhang. Up the hill behind the house sits the studio, stacked atop the garage and accessed by a spiral staircase. With views out through three towering pines and treetops, the house does feel like a camp in the woods, or perhaps, a treehouse. Landscape architect Keith Wagner of Wagner Hodgson in (See Cantilever House, Page 3C