BW

We created a Masterplan for this property on a private lake in the Adirondacks, with an interior restoration of the historic main camp and boathouse, originally designed by William Distin, and an addition of a guest lodge and cabins. Houses designed by Distin, the famed Adirondack architect who designed notable camps throughout the early to mid-century, including those for prominent patrons such as the Rockefellers, are unique in the way they respond to nature and context. Here, he designed a highly crafted house that harmonizes with nature, juxtaposing rough-hewn cedar boards with milled Douglas fir roof truss joists, the hand of the artisan expressed alongside a celebration of pure materiality and ingenious siting.

Expanding this private compound requires a conversation and collaboration with the original Distin camp. Allowing for multiple families and schedules demands a flexible layout. The project will refurbish and restore elements in the Distin camp intended to remain faithful to the original, while celebrating it as a timeless period piece. It remains utterly functional and beautiful and we will be preserving and highlighting its character throughout. The second component of the project will take advantage of our fabrication studio to pre-fabricate a new guest lodge and modern cabins, inspired by Scandinavian huts and Jean Prouvé’s prefab structures.