What do you imagine a forest home looks like? Well, it all depends on your imagination and the architect’s vision. In the case of the alluring Yingst Retreat in Michigan, the owners and Salmela Architect collaborated to materialize a dream and hopefully inspire others to do the same. Photographed from many vantage points by Undine Prohl, Peter Kerze and Paul Crosby, the 4,000 square feet residence in Michigan eludes our perception of residential architecture and challenges our mind to redefine the use of space.
Alluring Intimacy in a Beech Forest by the LakeTall beech trees weaving a thick forest around the secluded retreat spread all over the 16 acre site right down to the lake’s shore. This natural slope and value of the land is mirrored in the building’s architecture. Met by four separate black volumes at the entrance shaping up to functions of a garage, you get a glimpse of the wood, glass and brick shelter that acts both as a social hub and a private heaven. The play of volumes creates different views over the water surface and though the trees, capturing both elements from behind large windows and volumetric buildings.
Glorified in every detail, nature surrounding this collection of cubes was deceptively captured through frames, making you feel outdoors as your feet swoosh across the floor while you move through the house. A bright red kitchen is the heart of the home given that both owners are passionate about cooking and entertaining. Mirroring in an outdoor chimney on the West patio, the white-painted masonry fireplace separating the kitchen from the living area warms up the place and creates a comfortable aesthetic at night.
White masonry bookend walls keep an intimate atmosphere inside the main volume, leaving it up to the glulam columns to create a strong bond with the surrounding forest. Predominantly black on the exterior, the Yingst Retreat feels warm and comfy, especially since it has many features to make you feel at home, like the a stand-alone masonry sauna with sod roof and a black sculpture marking the bocce court.
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