The critical protected sand dunes on the shores of Lake Michigan provide a narrative backdrop for this modern vacation home, which also appears on the cover of our 2023 calendar. Modeled after beachfront homes commonly seen along the seaside dunes of New England, this home was customized to the site and built to withstand the unique weather conditions of the area all while being as energy efficient as possible.

The new pool house on this well-known property in Upstate New York presented a design challenge for our team; how to design and build an up-to-date stand-alone structure while respecting the renovated historic home it is adjacent to. 

“This project was a wonderful challenge for our in-house design team. The owners were very receptive to our ideas and excellent collaborators,” said Eric Fraser of New Energy Works east coast team. “In the end the success of this project is thanks in no small part to the clients communicating their needs with our team and being actively involved in the process from start to finish.”

The owners wanted to create a functional recreational space for their family & friends that had contemporary elements but would fit naturally into the context of the 1937 estate and surrounding neighborhood. Utilizing reclaimed Medina stone from the property for the large fireplace, Tudor inspired roof lines, and custom stained Douglas fir timbers helped to blend the pool house into its surroundings. 

This New Energy Works project in North Georgia was recently featured in a feature editorial by our friends at Green Building + Design Magazine (GB+D) in the “Warmth of Wood” Winter 2022 issue that focuses on sustainable modern designs and the beauty & practicality of wood in the design + build industry.

Featuring an interview with our own David Shirley AIA, NCARB from our west coast team, the sweeping feature touches on almost every aspect of New Energy Works including design, timber frame, high-performance enclosures, fine woodworking from NEWwoodworks, and reclaimed wood from our sister company Pioneer Millworks.   

Written by MIRIAH HAMRICK 

Photos by Garey Gomez