Cedar Creek

Set in a wooded, 7 acre site above Cedar Creek Lake, this series of buildings are weaved discreetly below the tree line and take advantage of commanding views of the surrounding lake. The collaborative effort between design team and client transformed a long-held family property into a legacy destination where the harmony between built structure and site results in a completed project that feels as if it has been in situ for years. The master plan addressed the project by siting the house, pavilion, tennis court, and garage barn amongst a high canopy of existing loblolly pine and live oak trees. The primary residence is carefully slipped into a tall grove of mature pine and oak trees, to assist in establishing a dynamic of minimizing tree loss and maximizing views to the lake beyond. A simple and restrained materials palette of wood, stone, concrete, and weathered steel are used throughout the project, reflecting the native environment. The entry sequence from a rural country road begins through a weathered steel plate gate and screen. The gate slides open to reveal a 350-foot long stone boulder wall that emerges from the earth to create an axial spine that terminates at the residence beyond. Proceeding down the cobblestone driveway toward a permeable gravel motor court, the stone wall seems to grow as the elevation of the drive falls. Strategic openings in the wall along the route allow mature existing trees to penetrate the vertical plane, and reveals the home and landscape beyond. Opposite the wall, allée elms reinforce the linearity of the entry procession and provide a buffer to the openness of the site beyond. Native plantings and partial reforestation of trees throughout existing and re- designed spaces further serve to enhance the site and ensure its qualities and health for generations to come.