Courtesy of GLUCK – Photographer Paul WarcholCamouflaged in the heavily wooded lakefront property in Upstate New York, the Lakeside Retreat designed by GLUCK+ brings a modern aesthetic to the tradition of Adirondeck Great Camps. The buildings are buried into the landscape, its green roof an extension of the ground plane, that hides the buildings upon approach, while the back opens up to the lake providing wonderful views of the surrounding nature. The architecture of the retreat comfortably conforms to the site, allowing it to influence the structure so that it appears to sit lightly on the landscape.
Courtesy of GLUCK – Photographer Paul Warchol
The design distributes the program into a series a buildings depending upon residential or recreational uses of the spaces. The family house is the more private of the two main structures with the entry and movement through the spaces less prescribed. It includes the master suite, guest bedrooms, living and dining rooms, a kitchen, and an open art gallery.
Courtesy of GLUCK – Photographer Paul Warchol
The recreation building, which is geared more towards the arrival and gathering of guests, contains a lap pool and spa, gym, steam room, changing rooms, kitchens, open living spaces, and a formal dining room that can become a screened porch. With the recreation building, the design promotes the visitors to navigate their own interpretative course though the building as well as in and around the landscape.
Courtesy of GLUCK – Photographer Paul Warchol
The site encourages the play of levels and terraces within the design of the structures that diminish the built presence and enhance the experience of the lakeside. Every interior level opens to the ground plane to encourage interaction between indoor and outdoor living. Full height glass panels are set behind wood screens that help modulate privacy, soften the interior light, and scale the façade. By sliding the glass panels back, bedrooms can transform into sleeping porches and sunken courtyards become outdoor living rooms. The design as a whole is very well done and has the sense of being easy, sitting within the landscape and drawing upon the natural geography, yet producing the sense of intrigue and mystery to discover the unseen spaces below.
Kristin Hoover is an editor at Arch2O and a proud graduate of Virginia Tech. Since joining in July 2014, she has authored over 200 insightful articles covering everything from adaptive reuse and cultural centers to eco-buildings and urban infrastructure . With a passion for architectural storytelling, Kristin skillfully curates and crafts compelling narratives that bring design innovation to life. Her editorial work reflects a broad yet finely honed interest in how architecture intersects with society, technology, and the environment—making her a key voice shaping Arch2O’s explorations of contemporary built form.