Fowler Residence Competition

Location: Northern MN

A repeat client of Cuningham Group Architecture and avid sailor, Mr. Fowler requested Cuningham employees to participate in a one-day competition for a future home on property he owned on the north shore of Lake Superior.  This proposal earned a jury “environmental spirit” commendation for its sustainability initiatives.

The dramatic site

•  Kinetic architecture — a large stone counterweight in the great room with rigging akin to sailing attached to an airplane hanger door on the exterior facades, using a simple and proven technology to protect the home during inclimate weather or winterization, given its exposed perch.

Site Plan

•  On-axis with the entry, a long deck platform projects out above the terrain that rapidly falls away below.  A man filled with exuberance, Mr. Fowler appreciated this heightened sense of awareness.

Section

•  Passive heating and cooling, such as a thermosyphon and cooling towers, further relate to a sailor’s harnessing of nature’s systems.