Nature's Edge | JMAD James McNeal Architecture & Design

Designed for clients who wanted a large, sprawling home that didn’t look large and sprawling, our Nature’s Edge home in Hudson, Wisconsin, overlooks The St. Croix River. The entryway is subdued as our clients didn’t want visitors to feel they were coming to a huge estate.

The lot itself was challenging, due to height restrictions, a ravine and a bluff. But these are the kinds of creative challenges we love. In the back, it’s not a two-story, it’s two stories further away; that was the only way to get the additional space without seeing the house from the river because there were these certain angles that we had to abide by. It was a big challenge to design views to the river but maintain the height restrictions but we got the two stories looking out to the river.

Upstairs are the kids’ rooms, tucked away. At the end of the kids hall, the door leads to a unique porch outside that’s like an overlook. The office has a 360-degree, panoramic view.

We designed a flat roof so that when you’re looking out to the river, you’re always getting views.  

A two-story stairway brings you down to the entertainment room below, which has a golf simulator and a lounge. Lots of light into the stairwell that carries down into the lower level.