A very tight lot with urban sensitivities, but serious flood zone issues. To accommodate FEMA flood elevations and the desire for parking, this elevated home is able to stack cars underneath and present itself on a narrow urban lot to the street. The inviting porch connects the front door to the street while creating privacy and preserving the vernacular Charleston side porch.

The narrow site challenged the design team to create a modern home that blended within its surroundings and maximized its views of the lake. All of the modern elements intertwine and weave together framing the view while drawing the lake up to the porch and finally connecting to the sky. ©Shoot2Sell Photography

David Burroughs
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Stacy Zarin Goldberg, Photographer Charlotte Savafi, Producer and Stylist Jennifer Costanzo, Interior Design
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A very tight lot with urban sensitivities, but serious flood zone issues. To accommodate FEMA flood elevations and the desire for parking, this elevated home is able to stack cars underneath and present itself on a narrow urban lot to the street. The inviting porch connects the front door to the street while creating privacy and preserving the vernacular Charleston side porch.

steps at entry
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Building Design, Plans, and Interior Finishes by: Fluidesign Studio I Builder: Structural Dimensions Inc. I Photographer: Seth Benn Photography
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Greg Premu Photography
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The elevated deck with stairs handles two issues, the drop in elevation from the kitchen to the pool level, and the pressing need for backyard storage space. Special waterproof membranes and drains were added to ensure the storage area below the deck would remain dry and protected from weather.

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Our clients already had a cottage on Torch Lake that they loved to visit. It was a 1960s ranch that worked just fine for their needs. However, the lower level walkout became entirely unusable due to water issues. After purchasing the lot next door, they hired us to design a new cottage. Our first task was to situate the home in the center of the two parcels to maximize the view of the lake while also accommodating a yard area. Our second task was to take particular care to divert any future water issues. We took necessary precautions with design specifications to water proof properly, establish foundation and landscape drain tiles / stones, set the proper elevation of the home per ground water height and direct the water flow around the home from natural grade / drive. Our final task was to make appealing, comfortable, living spaces with future planning at the forefront. An example of this planning is placing a master suite on both the main level and the upper level. The ultimate goal of this home is for it to one day be at least a 3/4 of the year home and designed to be a multi-generational heirloom. - Jacqueline Southby Photography

Access to the water was an issue at this cottage. The shear groundwork that a project like this requires is not easily comprehended, but the crew embraced the challenge.

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Our clients already had a cottage on Torch Lake that they loved to visit. It was a 1960s ranch that worked just fine for their needs. However, the lower level walkout became entirely unusable due to water issues. After purchasing the lot next door, they hired us to design a new cottage. Our first task was to situate the home in the center of the two parcels to maximize the view of the lake while also accommodating a yard area. Our second task was to take particular care to divert any future water issues. We took necessary precautions with design specifications to water proof properly, establish foundation and landscape drain tiles / stones, set the proper elevation of the home per ground water height and direct the water flow around the home from natural grade / drive. Our final task was to make appealing, comfortable, living spaces with future planning at the forefront. An example of this planning is placing a master suite on both the main level and the upper level. The ultimate goal of this home is for it to one day be at least a 3/4 of the year home and designed to be a multi-generational heirloom. - Jacqueline Southby Photography

photo by Bob Greenspan
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Our client desired a functional, tasteful, and improved environment to compliment their home. The overall goal was to create a landscape that was subtle and not overdone. The client was highly focused on their deck environment that would span across the rear of the house with an area for a Jacuzzi as well. A portion of the deck has a screened in porch due to the naturally buggy environment since the home is situated in the woods and a low area. A mosquito repellent injection system was incorporated into the irrigation system to help with the bug issue. We improved circulation of the driveway, increased the overall curb appeal of the entrance of the home, and created a scaled and proportional outdoor living environment for the clients to enjoy. The client has religious guidelines that needed to be adhered to with the overall function and design of the landscape, which included an arbor over the deck to support a Sukkah and a Green Egg smoker to cook Kosher foods. Two columns were added at the driveway entrance with lights to help define their driveway entrance since it's the end of a long pipe-stem. New light fixtures were also added to the rear of the house. Our client desired multiple amenities with a limited budget, so everything had to be value engineered through the design and construction process. There is heavy deer pressure on the site, a mosquito issue, low site elevations, flat topography, poor soil, and overall poor drainage of the site. The original driveway was not sized appropriately and the front porch had structural issues, as well as leaked water onto the landing below. The septic tank was also situated close to the rear of the house and had to be contemplated during the design process. Photography: Morgan Howarth. Landscape Architect: Howard Cohen, Surrounds Inc.