Designed with multigenerational living in mind, the Baw Beese House, a lakeside cabin vacation retreat in Hillside, USA features a series of modest timber-clad volumes allowing visiting family and friends to come together (or not) as they see fit. Rather than creating one sprawling cabin, architects Disbrow Iannuzzi divided the home into four smaller structures to soften its presence on the shoreline and allow different branches of the family to enjoy the home solo. Each volume acts as its own mini cabin, linked by glazed walkways that keep everything on one level while providing subtle separation. 

One cabin is reserved for the head of the family, her self-contained lakeside perch complete with bedroom, bathroom and a compact living area overlooking the lake. Another volume serves her daughter’s family of four, a self-contained getaway just yards from the rest of the family that can be enjoyed without disturbing anyone else. A central volume is the beating heart of the compound, featuring a grand main kitchen and large living spaces; a natural gathering spot for the entire family – and friends. 

Designed to limit the home’s environmental impact, the home features a thermally efficient concrete floor and was built using low-impact construction techniques that allow the structure to sit lightly on the landscape. Blended in with its surroundings with its stained wood cladding and black standing-seam steel roof, the cabin owns a quiet, cohesive character that feels at home in the lakeside setting. 

Photography © Round Three Photography