Sawyer Retreat is a vacation residence completed in 2024 by Wheeler Kearns Architects, located on a steep bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. The site presents challenging conditions, with native sand dunes, dense tree cover, and a dramatic drop toward the water's edge. The project's brief called for a private, restorative escape for a couple and their family, with careful integration into the landscape and minimal disruption to its fragile topography. Accessed at the end of a narrow single-lane road, the house was sited for privacy, retreat, and expansive lake views.
The architectural response organizes the house as two slightly offset wooden volumes, appearing to float above a concrete plinth that anchors the building to the hillside. This arrangement builds upward rather than outward, minimizing impact on the bluff and preserving existing trees. The dark, charred wood exterior faces the street with a low, understated profile. A slender pedestrian bridge of wood and steel spans the slope to the entrance, further reducing ground disturbance. Upon arrival, a 'slice' or passage between the two volumes brings daylight deep into the plan and visually links sky and water. Interior spaces are oriented to capture framed views of the lake while maintaining a sense of refuge and simplicity throughout.
