Architectural Record: Haven House by North House Architects

Location: Grand Haven, Michigan
Project size: 3,878 square feet (including basement); 782-square-foot deck & patio areas; 675-square-foot garage

Program: On a waterside plot in West Michigan, North House Architects designed Haven House in direct response to the shoreline views that make life along Lake Michigan so coveted. Conceived for a couple with grown children who hoped to live primarily on one level, the design lifts the main living spaces high enough to look over a bluff while minimizing the program at grade. This move allows the primary level to stretch parallel to the waterfront, establishing uninterrupted views to the horizon from the kitchen, dining, and living areas, as well as the primary suite.

Design Solution: Early site studies revealed that the landscape offered more than just a frontal lake view. There were layered and shifting sightlines across open sand, screened views through dune grasses, and a natural dip in the topography that became the organizing datum for the plan. The center of the great room, and its projecting “diving board” terrace, aligns precisely with this landform, framing the lake at its most dramatic point. Supported by exposed steel, the deck projects outward with demonstrative structural clarity that establishes the horizon as an anchor.

From the road, the lifted volume appears to float, allowing sightlines beneath the structure to the water beyond. Entry is choreographed from below: the ground level contains two bedrooms and a shared bath for visiting family, with the garage rotated 90 degrees to keep it visually discreet. A white oak–lined stair leads upward to the main threshold. At the top landing, turning the corner reveals the full expanse of sky and lake, held by an open plan organized around the views.

The main level contains the open kitchen, living, and dining area, the primary suite, a compact powder room, and the elevated terrace. Street-facing windows are carefully detailed as clerestories and narrow slots to protect privacy. On the opposite face, sweeping glass expands fully through a white oak curtain wall system. A carefully curated selection of new furnishings nestles into the clients’ existing collection of vintage midcentury furniture to give the interior an immediate sense of lived-in ease.

Structure and Materials: Throughout, the project prioritizes material and environmental performance. Hemlock wood appears continuously across siding, soffits, and ceilings, emphasizing the linear geometry of the elevated bar. The corrugated metal roof shelters a highly resilient flat roof assembly built for the harsh lakeside climate, including closed-cell spray foam, exterior rigid insulation, and a vented cold roof cavity. Triple-pane glazing and the wood siding protect against the harsh lakeside climate with its includes sun, wind, sand, snow, and ice throughout the area’s four seasons.

Additional Information
Completion date: December 2025
Site size: 1.5 acres
Total construction cost: Withheld
Client/Owner: Withheld

Originally published by Architectural Record