The Eagle Harbor Cabin is located on a wooded waterfront property on Lake Superior, at the northerly edge of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, about 300 miles northeast of Minneapolis.
The wooded 3-acre site features the rocky shoreline of Lake Superior, a lake that sometimes behaves like the ocean. The 2,000 SF cabin cantilevers out toward the water, with a 40-ft. long glass wall facing the spectacular beauty of the lake. The cabin is composed of two simple volumes: a large open living/dining/kitchen space with an open timber ceiling structure and a 2-story “bedroom tower,” with the kids’ bedroom on the ground floor and the parents’ bedroom stacked above.
The interior spaces are wood paneled, with exposed framing in the ceiling. The cabinets use PLYBOO, a FSC-certified bamboo product, with mahogany end panels. The use of mahogany is repeated in the custom mahogany/steel curvilinear dining table and in the custom mahogany coffee table. The cabin has a simple, elemental quality that is enhanced by custom touches such as the curvilinear maple entry screen and the custom furniture pieces. The cabin utilizes native Michigan hardwoods such as maple and birch. The exterior of the cabin is clad in corrugated metal siding, offset by the tall fireplace mass of Montana ledgestone at the east end.
The house has a number of sustainable or “green” building features, including 2x8 construction (40% greater insulation value); generous glass areas to provide natural lighting and ventilation; large overhangs for sun and snow protection; and metal siding for maximum durability. Sustainable interior finish materials include bamboo/plywood cabinets, linoleum floors, locally-grown maple flooring and birch paneling, and low-VOC paints.
This photo has 7 questions
Bryan Way wrote:
Beautiful design! How high is that glass wall? Also, what is the depth of this room? - I love the set up, would you mind telling us the dimensions of this whole common area? Thanks :) »
FINNE Architects Hi,
Thanks for your question about the Eagle Harbor Cabin.... I have attached the first floor plan. The main living/dining/kitchen space in this cabin is about 980 SF. The window wall facing Lake Superior is 14-ft. high and about 50-ft. long.
--Nils Finne, AIA
How wide are the window mullings? - We are looking at using wooden windows for a 19 ft long window wall. We are considering 4" wide mulling between large units. Wondering what is the width of the mullings here. They look quite narrow. »
FINNE Architects Hi,
The dining chairs in the Eagle Harbor cabin are the classic Wishbone chair, designed by Hans Wegner. They are available at DWR, http://www.dwr.com/product/wishbone-chair-lacquer-colors.do. The dining table is a custom piece that I designed for this project.
Best,
Nils Finne
FINNE Architects Hi,
Thanks for your interest in our work. The wall color is MOSS, and the paint type is Devine, from Portland, Oregon.
Best Regards,
Nils Finne
Lights over table - First of all, this looks absolutely amazing! Really sleek. I have a question on where the light fixture above the table is from? Thanks so much! »
FINNE Architects Hi,
Thanks for your kind words about this project. The hanging lights over the table are glass pendant lights from BRUCK; the fixture is called CIRO. I designed the curvilinear steel hanging bar, and it was made by a steel shop in Seattle.
--Nils Finne
From inside, similarities with the previous examples are evident: generous glazing, sloping roof, lots of wood. The last two tie these cabins to Thoreau's Walden Pond abode, but the last is definitely a late 20th-century insulated-glass phenomenon.
Bugs are an element in the woods, which is why you don't see large decks here. "Instead of adding decks where the family would be eaten alive, the main living space and its operable windows can serve as one large screened-in porch," Finne says. He sourced the wood from a mill down the road. The floors are native Michigan maple; the paneling, birch. Fir rafters across fir tongue and groove panels make up the ceiling.
Thanks for your question about the Eagle Harbor Cabin.... I have attached the first floor plan. The main living/dining/kitchen space in this cabin is about 980 SF. The window wall facing Lake Superior is 14-ft. high and about 50-ft. long.
--Nils Finne, AIA
Here is the floor plan...I had to convert the PDF to JPEG in order for HOUZZ to upload.
--Nils