2025 Lerch Bates
People's Choice Awards Finalists

Perched along a steep lakeside bluff, Sawyer Retreat is a new vacation house integrated into the Michigan sand dune landscape. The home asserts privacy from the street, with a low single-story, black charred wood exterior. A pedestrian bridge spans the sloping ground to reach the front door, reinforcing the client’s desire for a light touch and respect for the site, strategically positioned around existing trees. Conceptually, two slightly skewed wooden boxes float over a concrete base rooted into the hillside—built up rather than out. At the entry point, a glass 'slice' through the home connects sky, lake, and light.