HARBERT COTTAGE
A desire to clearly express the beauty of simple honest construction and basic materials characterizes this gut renovation of a 1950s ranch house in a lakeside Michigan community. Exposed wood trusses, polished concrete floors, zinc coated walls and roofing, galvanized metal grating, and white stucco are offset by crimson red casement windows. A screened porch - the epicenter of this summer home - distinguishes the street side facade and provides a direct connection to the gardens surrounding the house. A geothermal well feeds a radiant heating system embedded in the floor. Structurally insulated panels fabricated offsite provide a superior level of thermal protection. Local sourcing was used whenever possible for supplies including the windows, cabinetry, drywall, concrete block, trusses, and metal work.