Lake Angelus statement

Lake Angelus statement

IPhotography: James Haefner Photography

In a state with more than 11,000 inland lakes, and surrounded by four of the five deep, freshwater Great Lakes, waterfront homes and cottages are more than just another residential build, but rather an artform for those behind the design and often a generational destination and a way of life for their clients. On the shores of the roughly 470- acre Lake Angelus in Oakland County, Michigan, this approximately 17,000-square-foot home, with its striking contemporary lines and rich materiality, create bold architectural statement, while also offering a warm, inviting environment for family and friends. Intentional in its design, the two-story home takes advantage of its peninsular setting on a gentle sloping bluff at the lake’s edge and leaves an impression of cantilever and glass on the façade.

Tucked into the trees, the home was designed, built, and crafted by the collaborative and talented team of: DesRosiers Architects Inc. of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; Custom Homes By Derocher Inc. of Royal Oak, Michigan; Schaerer Architextural Interiors of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; Vogue Furniture of Royal Oak, Michigan; Wolverine Stone Co. of Warren, Michigan; Gethsemane Corporation of Rochester, Michigan; and Gillette Brothers Pool & Spa of Troy, Michigan. It is defined by an exterior of split face Indiana limestone, cement tile shingles, cedar, and bronze-tinted insulated glass; and welcomes from the spacious auto-court with tiered rooflines and a skylit front canopy entrance.

Its design language is a compelling one, elevated through careful construction and intentional integration where home automation, materials, and layout come together in a cohesive narrative. For DesRosiers Architects, an award-winning architectural firm in southeastern Michigan, it is a narrative that at its heart is meant to inspire homeowners equally from the moment they walk into the home as it does years in the future.

“My goal is that when the homeowners move in, they are excited, thrilled, and proud to be there; and that even 20 years later when they return from vacation, they will be just as excited,” said Louis DesRosiers, AIA, architect and founding principal of DesRosiers Architects.

The architect

DesRosiers Architects is a full-service architectural firm led by Lou DesRosiers, and comprised of a nine-member staff of registered architects, technical draftspersons, and designers. The firm specializes in custom residential, institutional, and commercial design, working with clients to provide comprehensive architectural design services from schematic design and design development to construction documents and construction management.

Since its establishment in 1974, DesRosiers Architects has built a residential architecture portfolio that reflects a pursuit to create a physical statement through a harmony of art and structure—many of which are set on the waterfront throughout the Great Lakes region, as well as in Beverly Hills, California; Jupiter, Florida; Telluride, Colorado; and across the globe. Though diverse in style, there are some common threads woven in each residential project, such as a large amount of glass, stepped ceilings, and allowing the surrounding environment to serve as a focal point.

“We design large expanses of glass in our homes to bring the residents closer to the beauty of their surroundings. This relationship continues with the use of natural materials throughout the home, especially wood accents for the trim, doors, and columns to add a feeling of warmth and connection to the earth,” DesRosiers said.

“Wood is even inset as steps in the ceiling. All of this adds a sense of comfort and security—along with indirect and soft lighting—to make you feel cozy and relaxed. That is what home means to us,” DesRosiers added.

From ceiling details, grand entry sequences, and sculptural staircases, to rich materiality and striking views, DesRosiers has been inspired from a young age by his late father, Arthur DesRosiers—architect of St. Hugo of the Hills Church—to build upon a rich architectural legacy in traditional and contemporary design. A third-generation registered architect, DesRosiers graduated from the Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan with a Bachelor of Architecture degree whereupon he designed and built his own 6,400-square-foot

residence in 1972 at the age of 28-yearsold—arguably launching his auspicious career—and by 1974, he founded DesRosiers Architects.

“The philosophy of our firm is we design around each of our clients’ lifestyles and personalities using our creativity and tal- ent,” DesRosiers said. “We design the house as a team and the clients are an integral part of the process. This home was created to reflect the client’s desires and even their dreams. We learned what they would like their home to have and how they’d like it to feel and then we brought the best possible version of that to life.”

The builder

It was DesRosiers Architects’ experience working with waterfront projects, a cli- ent referral, and the firm’s working rela- tionship with Bill Derocher, founder of Custom Homes By Derocher Inc., that led to the firm’s involvement in the Lake An- gelus Contemporary project. Derocher, a third-generation home builder, said after walking the client through a couple of com- pleted homes to generate a few ideas and a design direction, the custom construction company tapped DesRosiers to shape it into a plan.

“Some of our past clientele were kind enough to let us walk through their homes to get some ideas and direction, as well as to form a physical direction on a property,” Derocher said. “The overall, total scope of quality throughout is phenomenal. It is a one-of-a-kind showpiece just in the overall layout and the living space has a nice natu- ral flow to it, let alone the view.”

For more than a decade, Custom Homes By Derocher Inc. has made a name for itself in the Oakland County area for its creativi- ty, integrity, quality, attention to detail, and relationship with its clients. It has developed a portfolio of custom homes ranging in style from traditional, Old World-inspired estates to contemporary, lakefront retreats.

“I was intrigued by the idea of doing something a little better than the norm; trying to make something better,” said Derocher in reference to launching the company. “We are a turnkey operation and typically become involved with an architect from the start of the project to devise a plan and then execute the build. We offer a full, turnkey maintenance program on the house as well.”

Located in Royal Oak, Custom Homes By Derocher Inc. typically works with cli- ents within an 80-mile radius of Oakland County, but as Derocher noted, the compa- ny will go where the client needs them to go within a certain distance.

“I grew up in this business, so I enjoy it

all the way through. The most exciting part is making all the pieces of the puzzle come together into reality, taking it to shape and actually seeing the house as a visual,” Der- ocher said. “It is taking someone’s dream from paper and turning into a reality of a home—not a house—we call them homes.”

The vision

When it came to the Lake Angelus prop- erty and its gentle bluff on a point, one of the driving goals for the home was to take

advantage of its roughly 200-degree-view of the water. From the lakefront, the two-story home is tucked into the elevation, revealing the lower level as the land slopes down and a landscaped retaining wall that appears as an extension of the home itself. The L-shape of the home not only welcomes from the auto-court at the street front, but also allows for natural daylight exposure as the sun travels across the sky.

“They wanted to take advantage of the panoramic views, so we designed the house in a way that they get morning sun in the breakfast nook, and then as the sun travels, they can enjoy the sunset in all the rooms, particularly in the master suite,” DesRosiers said.

Other programmatic goals for the project comprised an open floorplan on the main level complete with private study, great room, kitchen, wine room, and master suite; upper level designated for several bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and a loft area for gathering; and a guest apartment located above the garage with two full bedrooms and bath, a sitting room, and a

private deck overlooking the negative-edge pool and lake.

“One of the most difficult factors about designing any home is you have to design them so it works for many situations. The house has to function very well for just two people on a day-to-day basis, and for three or four couples that they have as guests, and then for entertaining large parties,” Des- Rosiers said. “It has to function seamlessly inside and outside.”

The home also features an outdoor kitch- en area and a continuous drain decking system paired with the knife-and-negativeedge pool and built-in hot tub on level with the main floor; as well as a grandfathered-in, remodeled boathouse located down at the water’s edge.

“The entire outside patio and pool is lev- el with the finish floor of the house, so you never step down for anything and even the pool water is flush with the patio surface,” DesRosiers said. “The entire decking system is continuously drain-free, so there are no mortar joints. The water goes between the two-foot-by-two-foot exposed aggregate

concrete tiles that you walk on, so the beauty is if it rains, it is dry in minutes.”

Beyond the landscaped retaining wall as the property elevation dips down, the low- er-level comes into view. Designed for en- tertainment, the lower-level features a game area for billiards, a home theater, a two-sid- ed fireplace and intimate sitting area, bar with pop-up liquor display and kitchenette, exercise area complete with a spa—large steam showers and sauna—a golf simulation room, and elevator.

It is a home full of amenities and au-

tomation, which brought Spire Integrated Systems Inc. of Troy and Traverse City, Michigan, and the expertise of its team to the table.

The automation

“Our company specializes in luxury home technology. We have a very high focus on the design and engineering portion of projects at the beginning and then when we get to the end, we have a very high focus on our support team and how we maintain lasting relationships with our client base by continued support,” said Jason Bellanti, partner at

Spire Integrated Systems.

“We want to be able to work with the architecture and design of the house at the beginning so all of the technology can be seamlessly integrated into the home and can disappear in a lot of cases. We also want to design-engineer to specifically fit a client’s needs, not what we think they want, but what they actually want and what they are actually going to use,” Bellanti added.

Spire Integrated Systems designs, delivers, and supports high-performing audio-visual and control systems and is rooted in a four-pillar foundation that provides unique, elevated design solutions that are performance-based and long-lasting for every client. The pillars, Made For You, Elevated Design, System Mastery, and Support, Always, drive every project, every time no matter how large or small.

Founded by Navot Shoresh, principal and owner, Spire Integrated Systems has a mission to design and create innovative audio-visual and control system solutions that balance value, aesthetics, and simplicity. When referred by Derocher, DesRosiers, and Bob Schaerer of Schaerer Architextural Interiors for the Lake Angelus Contemporary

project, Shoresh noted it is often how the team is brought onto a project—as part of the design team to solve technical problems a job may have in terms of lighting, shades, and audio-video gear—such as a very complex floor television lift on the main level of this particular home.

“One of the key things with this job, just like with a lot of projects, was the vast amount of technology that needed to be integrated from the lighting, the shades, the audio-video, the security, the cameras, and all the things that go around it. I think one of the biggest challenges is to keep it simple, because sometimes you can get buried in the details and forget about the big picture, which is how the customer is going to use the system,” Shoresh said.

“With all the stuff going on, it had to be simple. It had to be a simple, one-push button that set the scene or stage for the house to go from a very passive environment to a very active environment. Meaning, shades drop, lights dim, music turns on, and just make it simple so anybody in the house can use it,” Shoresh added.

The awe factor

For all its amenities and automation, it is the grand foyer and great room entry sequence and the Lake Angelus Contemporary’s materiality that arguably takes center stage. From the auto-court, a stepped-ceiling, skylit foyer complete with glass floor and two-story, Sapele mahogany herring-bone-patterned columns draw guests within the home. It is a sequence layered with radiant-heated Sea Foam Brazilian granite floors, fabric walls, ceiling details, and open sight lines to floating mahogany stairway and upper level

walkway before the two-story, great room window expanse.

It is a sequence that exudes richness and illumination, and draws onlookers to the water beyond with its curved wall of windows, centrally focused from the threshold.

“I would have to say the most outstanding aspect is that even though this is a spacious home, it still has this wonderful warmth and inviting feeling that makes people feel comfortable,” DesRosiers said. “When you stand outside and you are nearing the entry, the home draws you in and after that each space welcomes you to sit down and enjoy the moment.”

The great room also features a two-story fireplace with curved limestone hearth and mahogany and bronze mantle; and motorized blinds and shades custom made for the two-story window expanse.

“You would never know that they are there and that was the effort the architect, the builder, the interior designer, and us— it took all four of us working together—to make it happen. I think it is a very important feature in this home, because there are so many windows,” Bellanti said. “Their ability to control sunlight or have privacy without it being an eyesore was a huge aspect of the design and took a very large team effort to pull it off.”