Lake House

Residential

Mar 25

New Fairfield, Connecticut

Completed 2021

Design Team
Max Worrell, Jejon Yeung, Yunchao Le

Collaborators
Structural Engineer: Silman
Landscape Architect: Let It Grow
Civil Engineer: AKRF

Located on a narrow peninsula on Candlewood Lake in western Connecticut, this family house establishes a direct relationship with the lakeside landscape, creating a platform for experiencing nature. The home’s orientation responds to the steep grade of the lot and the preservation of an old oak tree. Stepped planes cascade toward the lake and break down the massing of the house, cantilevering to provide shade for the floor-to-ceiling windows that wrap the lower levels.

Clad in custom-profile sustainable pine, the facade retains a naturalistic character, with charred-cypress roof planes and soffits.

The house is constructed primarily from site-cast concrete, which allows for large, uninterrupted glass openings. Glazing flanks the front door, which opens onto an entry courtyard anchored by a Japanese maple tree. Inside, a large living room leads into an open dining room and kitchen; all three spaces are oriented toward sliding glass doors overlooking the lake. Local limestone base walls and bluestone pavers ground the house in native materials, while a planted green roof blends into the surrounding treetops and passively regulates the interior temperature.