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Architects: La Dallman
- Area: 3310 ft²
- Year: 2020
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Photographs:Kevin Miyazaki
Text description provided by the architects. Nestled along Lake Michigan in Door County Wisconsin, Pavilion House articulates its program in three interconnected pavilions to REST, LIVE, and PLAY. Each pavilion is punctuated by a de-centered oculus, which migrates its position for the most optimal spatial location, tipping the roof as necessary. Each oculus provides primary illumination for the pavilions, balancing the light source from the window wall and creating a stack effect for improved natural ventilation.
Eschewing the conventional, symmetrical hipped roof which typically relies on collar and rafter ties, the Pavilion House utilizes an innovative truss roof structure that offers a clear volumetric interior. The pavilions are shaped relative to their natural affinities—the surrounding landscape and the interior program– leaning toward the light, drawing the separate volumes into a relationship with one another, and creating newly implied, overlapping spatial centers.
The structural condition also produces the crisp lines of the massing and generates deep overhangs at the windows for optimal natural light and protection against inclement weather. The aperture positions and proportions are tuned with the soffits and eaves to maximize the relationship to the outdoors and to expand the psychological boundary of the dwelling, allowing this modest house to “live largely.” Precise cabinetry and storage benches are integrated with the apertures to frame the rooms and the landscape beyond.
The Pavilion House is a multi-generational home for family and extended family, who enjoy the summers on Lake Michigan. The family has longstanding roots in Wisconsin but currently resides out of state. As a result, the house is an important gathering opportunity for the family to remain connected to their Midwest origins. The “play” pavilion is a significant gathering space for the family as it offers a flexible multi-purpose room to paint, sculpt, and do woodworking projects; with its large operable doors to easily move projects and equipment.
The design team was sensitive to creating a home that is inspired by the vernacular tradition of single program buildings commonly found in agricultural communities throughout the Midwest such as barns, one-room schoolhouses, sheds, and granaries. These simple structures often utilize hip and gable roofs to manage Wisconsin’s infamous snow loads. Additionally, the project promotes regional craft by using exclusively local artisans and craftsmen on all aspects of the building. In particular, the Pavilion House draws upon the excellent woodworking found in the county.
