The weekend house is reduced to a few essential elements. The main house and a small studio sit on a black platform. The two black volumes create a frame for the water of Lake Superior as it extends toward the distant horizon. All of the activities of the house relate directly to the infi nite spatial presence of the lake. A long simple white table runs parallel to the lake. A narrow vertical tower encloses the fi replace. A row of cabinets along the north wall conceals the complexities of daily life: books, linen, pantry, laundry, jackets, tools, books and music. The house is heated with dual fuel boilers and in-fl oor distribution. The design employs passive heating and cooling. The black exterior, abundant south glass and the black fl oor are so effective that the house can rise to 70°F on cold, but sunny winter days in a place where outdoor temperature can reach -30°F. Sliding glass doors provide cool summer breezes off the lake which rarely rises above 60°F. The site provides 240’ of ledge rock shoreline. The rocky, wooded acreage, of primarily birch and spruce, slopes toward the lake. Wood piers and a 12’ wide mechanical space below the kitchen and bath areas support the house and allow water to move freely across the site. Concealed by trees in the summer, the black boxes slip into the winter landscape of black tree trunks. The cladding and minimal exterior detailing emphasize the purity of the simple black boxes framing the black terrace. Exterior walls and glass doors stand outside the structural frame, supported by steel angles. Glass walls extend above the ceiling and below the fl oor, maximizing transparency to the surrounding landscape. The house provides a serene connection to a beautiful, rugged landscape. The presence of the landscape accompanies every activity in the house, a bit like camping, only comfortable.