A contemporary home near Lake Michigan by UrbanLab Architects
UrbanLab Architects designs a contemporary home in Harbert, Michigan, with a pool for a true vacation lifestyle
In Harbert, a ten-minute walk from Lake Michigan, UrbanLab Architects has designed a contemporary home that functions like a small family hotel. Four comfortable bedrooms, a gunite (sprayed concrete) pool, an eight-person spa, and an outdoor fireplace provide the perfect setting for a vacation. The interior design features a predominantly green color scheme, bringing nature into the home.
The multi-winged floor plan is the project’s most distinctive feature. Each bedroom is positioned around a landscaped inner courtyard, ensuring true privacy between spaces. UrbanLab Architects treated this courtyard as the heart of the home. It is accessed from the living room and dining room through large sliding glass doors; the pool is located there, as is the terrace.
This type of centripetal layout, inherited from Mediterranean architecture and reinterpreted by 1960s California modernism, is rare in this region of the Midwest. It is more commonly seen in projects in Palm Springs or Scottsdale, for example. UrbanLab has intelligently adapted it to the Great Lakes context. The courtyard is not open to the elements as in the desert; it is sheltered, densely landscaped, and designed to retain heat on late August evenings when temperatures drop after sunset.
The exterior facade is decidedly understated, featuring clean lines, geometric volumes, and no superfluous ornamentation. This is the architectural vocabulary associated with high-end contemporary Midwest design, influenced by post-war modernism.
The polished concrete floor with integrated radiant heating provides definite comfort. In a home designed to be lived in primarily from June through September, it’s also a choice that anticipates evenings that can be cool. But it also warms wet feet after a swim in the pool, or on late-season mornings when no one wants to get out of bed. The radiant system covers the entire house in zones, allowing for selective heating of only the occupied rooms, a smart and economical choice.
In the kitchen, the countertops are made of handmade terrazzo. It generously covers the central island. High-end appliances and built-in storage complete a space designed for large groups, whether family or friends.
The living room opens directly onto the courtyard through oversized sliding glass doors. When they are open, the boundary between inside and outside almost disappears. The sleek gas fireplace warms the interior space.
The green-based decor in the interior spaces, a fairly deep and vibrant shade, is a bold choice for this contemporary home. Here, the designers didn’t settle for white, gray, and wood, as is often the case in architect-designed homes. The custom lighting consists of well-placed light fixtures that create different moods depending on the time of day.
The pink chosen for the entryway is all the more daring given how it contrasts with the green found everywhere else. It brings a lot of softness to this transitional space.
The custom-built three-tier bunk bed is the most surprising feature of the house. Three sleeping areas are stacked in a single room, complete with a built-in ladder and storage niches. It’s a very “summer camp”-style dorm setup, like those found in the U.S. It’s perfect for large families or groups of friends with children. Because it solves a practical problem in a pleasant way, and generally, the little ones love it.
Adults, meanwhile, have a choice of three bathrooms with walk-in showers and a fourth with a custom-built bathtub. Four bedrooms, four bathrooms, an ideal layout for eliminating morning negotiations.
The rectangular pool occupies the central patio. Its clean, rectangular lines complement the home’s architecture. Next to it, an eight-person spa and an outdoor fireplace round out the leisure amenities. In the evening, when the pool is lit and the fireplace is burning, the courtyard becomes the home’s true living room. The outdoor shower completes the setup, allowing you to rinse off sand when returning from the beach before walking through the house.
The lake beach, in fact, is just a ten-minute walk away. This stretch of shoreline has long attracted Chicago families seeking a seaside retreat less than a two-hour drive away. Southeastern shore of the Lake Michigan is named the “Gold Coast,” is full of sandy beaches. Some of which rival those of the Caribbean in their color. Small seaside towns, orchards, vineyards, and local farmers’ markets round out the region’s appeal. People come here for swimming, sailing, exploring the dunes, and a decidedly summery pace of life
UrbanLab Architects has designed a well-built vacation home here, featuring distinctive architectural choices that are far from ordinary. The layout with its interior courtyard, the raw materials used, and the decor with green accents make this a home unlike any other, ideal for carefree getaways.
This contemporary home in Michigan is for sale by clicking this link
Architecture organized around a central patio
The multi-winged floor plan is the project’s most distinctive feature. Each bedroom is positioned around a landscaped inner courtyard, ensuring true privacy between spaces. UrbanLab Architects treated this courtyard as the heart of the home. It is accessed from the living room and dining room through large sliding glass doors; the pool is located there, as is the terrace.
This type of centripetal layout, inherited from Mediterranean architecture and reinterpreted by 1960s California modernism, is rare in this region of the Midwest. It is more commonly seen in projects in Palm Springs or Scottsdale, for example. UrbanLab has intelligently adapted it to the Great Lakes context. The courtyard is not open to the elements as in the desert; it is sheltered, densely landscaped, and designed to retain heat on late August evenings when temperatures drop after sunset.
The exterior facade is decidedly understated, featuring clean lines, geometric volumes, and no superfluous ornamentation. This is the architectural vocabulary associated with high-end contemporary Midwest design, influenced by post-war modernism.
An interior featuring heated concrete and handmade terrazzo
The polished concrete floor with integrated radiant heating provides definite comfort. In a home designed to be lived in primarily from June through September, it’s also a choice that anticipates evenings that can be cool. But it also warms wet feet after a swim in the pool, or on late-season mornings when no one wants to get out of bed. The radiant system covers the entire house in zones, allowing for selective heating of only the occupied rooms, a smart and economical choice.
In the kitchen, the countertops are made of handmade terrazzo. It generously covers the central island. High-end appliances and built-in storage complete a space designed for large groups, whether family or friends.
The living room opens directly onto the courtyard through oversized sliding glass doors. When they are open, the boundary between inside and outside almost disappears. The sleek gas fireplace warms the interior space.
A green-based decor
The green-based decor in the interior spaces, a fairly deep and vibrant shade, is a bold choice for this contemporary home. Here, the designers didn’t settle for white, gray, and wood, as is often the case in architect-designed homes. The custom lighting consists of well-placed light fixtures that create different moods depending on the time of day.
The pink chosen for the entryway is all the more daring given how it contrasts with the green found everywhere else. It brings a lot of softness to this transitional space.
The bunk bed bedroom
The custom-built three-tier bunk bed is the most surprising feature of the house. Three sleeping areas are stacked in a single room, complete with a built-in ladder and storage niches. It’s a very “summer camp”-style dorm setup, like those found in the U.S. It’s perfect for large families or groups of friends with children. Because it solves a practical problem in a pleasant way, and generally, the little ones love it.
Adults, meanwhile, have a choice of three bathrooms with walk-in showers and a fourth with a custom-built bathtub. Four bedrooms, four bathrooms, an ideal layout for eliminating morning negotiations.
Outdoor living
The rectangular pool occupies the central patio. Its clean, rectangular lines complement the home’s architecture. Next to it, an eight-person spa and an outdoor fireplace round out the leisure amenities. In the evening, when the pool is lit and the fireplace is burning, the courtyard becomes the home’s true living room. The outdoor shower completes the setup, allowing you to rinse off sand when returning from the beach before walking through the house.
Not far away, the beach
The lake beach, in fact, is just a ten-minute walk away. This stretch of shoreline has long attracted Chicago families seeking a seaside retreat less than a two-hour drive away. Southeastern shore of the Lake Michigan is named the “Gold Coast,” is full of sandy beaches. Some of which rival those of the Caribbean in their color. Small seaside towns, orchards, vineyards, and local farmers’ markets round out the region’s appeal. People come here for swimming, sailing, exploring the dunes, and a decidedly summery pace of life
What stands out about this contemporary home
UrbanLab Architects has designed a well-built vacation home here, featuring distinctive architectural choices that are far from ordinary. The layout with its interior courtyard, the raw materials used, and the decor with green accents make this a home unlike any other, ideal for carefree getaways.
This contemporary home in Michigan is for sale by clicking this link
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