Three generations have shared summers together at this very special place called Merry Hill. Recognizing their shifting needs and looking forward to future generations, the clients wanted to both drastically change their beloved family lake house and yet not change it at all. This new iteration of the cottage is nearly double the size of the original, transforming their summer home into a four-season getaway while evoking the character of the original house in a new and fresh way.

The main cottage, boathouse and sleeping cabin all have broad, shallow-pitched roofs with generous overhangs that derive their form from their mid-century predecessor. Expansive openings, wood interiors, operable clerestories, and local stone double-stacked fireplaces are all familiar to the clients but rendered in different scales. Designed for resiliency and sustainability, the new retreat employs an integrated generator, geothermal heating, solar arrays, and battery storage as well as incorporates passive strategies such as sun orientation, earth sheltering, and cross ventilation to keep the interior at an ideal temperature all year round. The resulting form, detailing, and material selections of this new build allows for the seamless continuity of memory-making for a sentimental family.