whitetail pond residence

saugatuck, michigan

The client is looking to create an “away” destination for seasonal vacations, a space for get-togethers with friends and family, and somewhere to spend time throughout the year. The site hosts a range of ecological conditions and opportunities to create outdoor spaces that accommodate and encourage various ways of experiencing nature and mindful interaction with the local habitat, from gardening to deer watching.

A major existing asset of the site is the pond that sits on the front portion, creating the perfect spot to locate the house and organize near-house landscape and pathways around it. The site has a wetland area that requires its specific regulatory and ecological considerations to assure its preservation. Based on the site analysis, environmental assessment, and conversations with the client, the design proposes a boardwalk loop that organizes the site into different categories of ‘modify’, ‘enhance’, and ‘preserve’ while providing circulation to navigate the entire site and being the main armature that ties different elements of site design, such as seasonal pavilions and on-grade pathways together.

As part of the initial stages of the project, the site was investigated and is being treated for invasive species. Existing plant communities and ecologies on the site were studied and assessed for preservation and potential restoration or occasional removal in preparation for construction.