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As outdoor enthusiasts with professional work for Audubon Minnesota and the Forest Stewardship Council, the North Island Retreat clients maintain a long relationship with the Arrowhead Region of northern Minnesota and particularly with Burntside Lake. The lake is a unique environment with over 150 islands formed of rock and vegetation. Their deep love of the landscape, its habitats, and ecosystems underpinned their ideas for the project—being immersed in the forest and lake setting with minimal impact to the site’s ecosystem. The principal project goal was to “live lightly on the land” in a retreat that merges into the landscape.
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The remote site is only accessible by boat from “ice-out to ice-in”, typically May to October. In winter the island is accessible via ice roads, snow mobiles, or cross-country skis. The Arrowhead Region, part of the Canadian Shield, is characterized by exposed bedrock often covered with only thin layers of soil. The retreat site is unexcavated and each structure’s concrete pier foundation bears directly on rock, minimally touching the ground to allow the site to naturally drain. The geologic formations themselves are rounded, sculpturally dramatic, and primarily dark gray in color. Despite the thin soil, the site is heavily forested with trees which cling to the rocky ground, and the overall site is diverse with various species of pine, maple, and aspen.
The clients aspire to use very little energy in their day-to-day life on the island. The lodge volumes are orientated for daylight, natural passive ventilation, to encourage winter solar gain, and to be heated primarily with a wood stove. The three season structures were not designed to be universally cooled or heated but tempered variously based on use and season. All plumbing fixtures are designed to minimize water usage, which is sourced from the lake. The complex is solar-ready, and the LED light fixtures are intended for minimal use. The design choreographs interactions with guests, affording privacy/solitude, spaces for gathering and integrating thermal comfort. The septic system is natural, using peat moss to process waste and greywater.
As outdoor enthusiasts and professional advocates, the retreat clients maintain a long relationship with northern Minnesota. Their deep love of the landscape, its habitats, and ecosystems underpinned the project’s ethos—being immersed in the forest and lake setting and with minimal impact to the ecosystem. The retreat site is unexcavated and each structure’s concrete pier foundation bears directly on rock, minimally touching the ground to allow the site to naturally drain. The complex of living spaces is heavily insulated, significantly reducing any energy loss in both heating and cooling modes. Like its lodge predecessors, the retreat is constructed of local wood species inside and out. Each structure’s façade is clad in durable, low maintenance thermally modified exterior wood siding. The project was designed to use small building components easily brought to the island by boat or barge, and then constructed by one or two people temporarily residing on the island site. The minimal program provides areas that are private and serene, and communal areas for cooking, socializing, and bathing. Creating acoustic and visual separations as well as providing a diversity of experiences was essential for the island retreat. In addition to the trails around the retreat there is a trail circuit that traverses the upper bluff of the island. The design for the site includes access points to upper bluff viewing areas.
The principal project goal was to “live lightly on the land” in a retreat that merges into the landscape.
VJAA is a collaborative design studio with a commitment to design excellence and producing architecture that engages social, cultural, and environmental issues in a knowing and creative way. Through a research-based process that continually reconsiders the fundamentals of building design, program, site, materials, and structure, our practice is committed to innovative thinking on every project, regardless of budget, scope, or complexity. Sustainability and material craft are woven through the culture of the office and are central to its core values.
VJAA is the recipient of the 2012 American Institute of Architects Firm Award. Since its founding, VJAA has received twenty-three national design awards. In 2010, Architect magazine ranked VJAA first in the United States for design recognition and sixth overall (emphasizing the firm’s sustainability practices). In 2001, the firm was recognized with the Award in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
