The house is set along an artificial lake adapted for competitive waterskiing and slalom racing. Together with fellow enthusiasts, the client acquired agricultural land and replanned the lake to establish a half-mile course. The building occupies a berm dredged from the lake itself, placing the house both in and on the water. In an otherwise flat landscape, this modest elevation provides uninterrupted views from one end of the course to the other.
The architecture is organized as a simple linear bar, divided into three clearly defined zones: a guest wing, a central communal space, and a private primary suite. Above, a continuous winged roof unites these elements, encouraging movement along the length of the house while maintaining visual and spatial continuity.
The roof plays a central environmental role. Its extended planes shade the lakeside terrace and capture prevailing breezes cooled by the water, drawing them through high transom openings into the living spaces. This passive strategy significantly reduces reliance on mechanical conditioning. Rainwater collected along the roof valley is directed to an underground reservoir and reused for irrigation of the native landscape.
Outdoor rooms are integral to daily life. Covered spaces between the roof planes extend living areas outward, while exterior fireplaces and a private outdoor shower reinforce the house’s relationship to climate and water. Material choices are intentionally restrained—corrugated structural panels, concrete floors, stucco and exposed masonry walls, aluminum-clad windows, and simple fabric shades—resulting in a structure that is direct, durable, and low-maintenance.
The house responds precisely to its purpose: a shelter that is economical, robust, and expressive, shaped by water, wind, and use rather than excess.