Orono, MN
Completed 2025
Travis Van Liere Studio
Rehkamp Larson Architects
Welch Forsman
Landscape Renovations
Minnesota Roots

The landscape design for our Light Frame project is grounded in a clear respect for the existing wooded lakeside site, creating a quiet and immersive setting for daily life. Set on a five-acre parcel overlooking a private lake and adjacent wetlands, the design approach prioritizes preservation, clarity, and long-term resilience while celebrating views to the lake beyond and the natural beauty and seasonality of the landscape.

 A new entry drive is carefully threaded through the existing tree canopy along the brow of the hill, preserving mature trees and maintaining privacy from the road while establishing a measured arrival sequence that gradually reveals the home and opens to views of the lake beyond. Positioned at the edge of the slope, the home is supported by minimal grading and integrated retaining walls that shape a restrained autocourt and entry, allowing the surrounding woodland to remain intact while guiding movement toward the water.

On the lakeside, the design minimizes disturbance to the steep terrain and prioritizes preservation of existing trees. Lawn areas are intentionally limited, replaced with native plantings that stabilize the slope, support habitat, and reflect the regional landscape. These plant communities extend to the house, providing seasonal variation and a soft transition between built form and site.  Outdoor spaces extend from all sides of the home, allowing direct access into the landscape and reinforcing a seamless connection between indoors and out. Views are selectively framed to maintain both openness and immersion.

 The result is a composed, site-driven landscape that is restrained, durable, and integrated - an approach that supports both the architecture of the home and the long-term resiliency of the land.