2023 Architectural Design: Modern and Home of the Year Winner: Elevated Camp

This four-season lakeside retreat, composed of a 2,733-square-foot residence and a 382-square-foot guest cabin linked by an elevated boardwalk, is conceived as an arrangement of spaces grouped as solid blocks, which are arranged to frame and hold the common, open family room—the nexus of the house. On approaching the entry, the building dynamically wraps around the glacial erratic, framing the family room and creating an aperture with views beyond toward the lake. The camp, navigated via a circulation network of elevated boardwalks, stairs, decks and a bridge, has a restrained and muted material palette. The concrete and steel exterior visually recedes into the landscape of textured gray tree trunks and weathered boulders. Exterior materials carry through to the interior at critical transitions, blurring the interior and exterior boundaries. Inside, the neutral palette complements the colors of foliage, water and sky. Overall, the building strikes a dynamic gesture in dialogue with the landscape, touching the land lightly, and embracing intimate interiors where the family can convene and enjoy the views.

What the judges said: Clean, elegant and restrained. Unlike the international style known for its void of connectivity to culture and context, this project celebrates modernity with design elements and materials that respect and honor its site, culture and vernacular.

Murdough Design
Concord, Massachusetts
(978) 341-4100
www.murdoughdesign.com

Read the full story about this spectacular home here.