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    The west elevation facing the lake through a woodland setting. next>
    pi2[2 of 11]
    The "tower" and north-west facing corner window.<back next>
    pi3[3 of 11]
    View of the "tower" from below.<back next>
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    View of the south gable end window.<back next>
    pi5[5 of 11]
    Northern white cedar "novelty" cut siding with mitered corners.<back next>
    pi6[6 of 11]
    A detail of the fine craftmanship that went into finishing the exterior.<back next>
    pi7[7 of 11]
    North-west corner window viewed from the interior.<back next>
    pi8[8 of 11]
    Ground Floor Plan<back next>
    pi9[9 of 11]
    Second Floor Plan<back next>
    pi10[10 of 11]
    Framing Plan<back next>
    pi11[11 of 11]
    Wall Section<back


Located in one of the world's most beautiful and secretive places on a small island in Lake Champlain, the Island House is intended as a retreat for a couple who want to live closely to nature.  Influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian houses and based on a traditional Japanese plan, the building is designed as a series of inter-connected units with public and private spaces, a guest wing, a meditation hut, and a tower.  The Island House  uses a post-and-stresskin panel construction technique which allowed the building to be assembled like a kit.  Each panel was pre-cut to size, with window and door openings, before being brought out by boat to the site, then re-assembled on a post & joist frame set on a pier foundation.

While the interior finishing of the Island House is on-going, the slides above give a view to select drawings and a finely crafted exterior.  Scroll through the filmstrip below to follow the context, design and construction.


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