This Connecticut lake house by Worrell Yeung cascades towards the water
Lake House by Worrell Yeung is the newest architectural addition on the shores of Candlewood Lake, Connecticut
New York studio Worrell Yeung has designed a Connecticut lake house worthy of home envy. Perched atop the leafy slopes surrounding Candlewood Lake, the home is a 4,900 sq ft family retreat defined by its strong shapes and stacked, linear volumes. The timber and concrete forms appear cascading towards the water, connecting the owners to the landscape and allowing them to take in nature at every corner.
‘The starting point for this weekend house in Connecticut was to provide a direct relationship with the lakeside landscape and a platform to experience space and nature,’ says practice co-principal Max Worrell. ‘Part of the goal of the project was to minimise the house’s presence and perceived size from the street. We ended up layering planes and stacking volumes to break up the mass of the house as it cascades down the hill,' adds his co-principal Jejon Yeung.
The generous home wraps around a large, old oak tree existing on the site, the preservation of which the clients and architects were keen to prioritise. Making views, trees and water the main focus of the design, the architects ensured each space opens up to long vistas through glazed expanses and openings of all kinds. The home's stepped character helps achieve that goal, allowing for a variety of views through and across the house.
‘We took advantage of the concrete structure – cantilevering roof planes in multiple directions is not as readily possible with wood or steel construction,' says Worrell. ‘Using its non-contiguous load bearing points, we were able to shift and cantilever the second-floor volume, opening up half of the first-floor roof for gardens and occupiable outdoor deck space.'
Natural materials and this openness towards nature help define this Connecticut lake house. At the same time, it remains a thoroughly contemporary home, placing comfort, refined aesthetics and convenience at the heart of its design too. ‘Despite the clients wanting a modern house, they still wanted to be contextual,' adds Worrell. And no doubt, this striking lake house ticks both boxes.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Augustinus Bader’s Palais-Royal boutique has been transformed by artist Harry Nuriev
Augustinus Bader unveils a pop-up space at its flagship store in Paris by multidisciplinary artist and designer Harry Nuriev
By India Birgitta Jarvis Published
-
Lucas Bauer’s debut jewellery collection is a sensual delight
‘My pieces have seductive intentions,’ says Lucas Bauer as his first jewellery collection, ‘Hyphos’, celebrates organic forms
By Hannah Silver Published
-
‘There are no shortcuts’: Ten years of Hereu, the cult Spanish shoe brand where craft is front and centre
Dal Chodha visits Barcelona-based shoe and accessory brand Hereu as it reaches a milestone decade in business
By Dal Chodha Published
-
Omaha’s Joslyn Art Museum's newest addition effortlessly complements the institution’s existing complex
The third addition to Joslyn Art Museum is designed by Snøhetta, which opted for voluminous common spaces and illuminating atriums
By Anthony Paletta Published
-
Morning Dove in Twentynine Palms combines earth construction and otherworldly desert views
Morning Dove by Homestead Modern in Twentynine Palms offers a striking landscape and rammed-earth construction for idyllic desert escapes
By Carole Dixon Published
-
Larry Booth's 'House of Light' showcases an impeccable slice of postmodernist heritage
A 1980s Larry Booth-designed Chicago townhouse on a narrow plot is a striking example of his author's work, set alongside the city’s postmodernist archive
By Edwin Heathcote Published
-
In a hidden Beverly Hills garden courtyard, fashion, art and architecture meet
Johnston Marklee transforms a Beverly Hills storefront into a shared space for the Michael Werner art gallery and fashion institution Mameg, connected through a leafy courtyard
By Carole Dixon Published
-
Transamerica Pyramid: a San Francisco icon, remastered
The Transamerica Pyramid, a landmark in the San Francisco cityscape, has been redesigned to 21st-century standards by Foster + Partners
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Hill House Montecito is a flowing home 'for the twenty-first century'
Hill House Montecito by Donaldson + Partners brings together a client's vision with architectural drama and a site-specific approach for a California family home
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Step inside Apple Park Observatory, the tech giant's new hub for events and innovation in Cupertino
Apple Park Observatory, unveiled in Cupertino, adds to the tech giant's expansive campus by Foster + Partners in California
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Clive Lonstein’s Manhattan home is a warm minimalist space brimming with texture
Designer Clive Lonstein elevates his carefully curated Manhattan home with rich textures and fabrics
By Alfredo Mineo Published