Our design for this three-acre site overlooking Lake Michigan gradually moves the strikingly contemporary residence, by architect Peter Gluck, from a suburban condition upon arrival to a more natural setting as it approaches the water. An ornamental matrix of grasses and perennials transitions to a bluff palette at the back, knitting the house into its larger context; the angular, warped planes of the architecture are planted with grasses and ground cover to further fuse house and landscape. The entire bluff was remolded to envelop the house, pool, and boat house – progressively immersing a rigorous work of architecture into the pleasurable unpredictability of nature.

Awards: 2015 President’s Award, Illinois ASLA