Set deep within the Arkansas Ozarks, the house draws upon the regional vernacular established by 150 years of agrarian homesteads, mills, and outbuildings.  Stone walls root the building to its site while extending the house out into the landscape.  Framed views of the lake and surrounding forest enhance and enrich the occupants’ experience with nature.

Conceptually, the house is seen as a structured shelter within the woods. Utilizing indigenous materials, visitors will get the metaphorical sense of being in a forest within a forest.    On the interior, columns act as abstracted trunks while the diagonal braces mimic branches. A simple light fixture with a punched metal shade rests atop the columns and creates shadows that abstractly emulate sunlight cascading through the forest of leaves.

In plan, massive walls on either side of the living area create a stone boundary to isolate the more private bedrooms. The walls are skewed slightly to accentuate views toward the lake and to make the spaces within more dynamic. Hallways serve as circulation axes that provide views toward the landscape beyond, bringing a densely wooded landscape into the house and providing vignetted views of interest as one proceeds through the house.