PRIVATE RESIDENCE

Winona, Minnesota

The challenge was to create an open, light-filled house that blended into the site. The plan needed to accommodate the personal time of two teenage daughters and the parents as well as the togetherness of family activities.

The site is a beautiful, unmolested Minnesota coulee enclosed on three sides by heavily wooded bluffs. The north end opens to views of the Mississippi River valley. The 40 acre site is covered with native oak, hickory and birch trees.

The owner's sense of home was satisfied by adopting a Prairie Style motif. The plan is zoned into three distinct - yet connected - spaces to house the daughters, the parents, and the family. These zones are distinguished by their differing levels which relate directly to their location on the hillside. The offset connections create a variety of interesting spaces and help break down the scale of the home.

Each zone is capped by a hipped roof with broad overhangs. The natural wood and ash colored stucco of the exterior is detailed to band together the three zones. The projecting decks and balconies boldly declare their heritage.