This small cottage perches above and overlooks the clients’ existing home to views of Lake Candlewood. Its geometries create a spatial interlock of two primary uses and orientations: an upper floor guest apartment that cantilevers from the main structure to provide a lake vista, and, at the ground level, a small private gym offering comfortable access from the main house below it.
The interior finishes are simple and economical. A large composition of wood windows accents white gypsum board walls. Tongue and groove western hemlock boards clad the cottage’s faceted ceiling surfaces. The cottage’s dark, Kynar-coated, metal siding maintains the architectural language of the earlier house renovation while allowing its volume to recede into the forested background of large conifers that line the valley slope. A weathering steel clad retaining wall creates a landing for guest access and a small lawn for both respite and play