A home with a view

Our client was ready to build on a parcel of her family’s former apple orchard in southern Minnesota. Her goals?

  • Create a home that could suit her for the rest of her life.
  • Include space to accommodate her adult children and their families — and encourage them to visit.
  • Ensure the building fit appropriately within its natural setting.
  • Take full advantage of the views. THOSE. VIEWS.

Shelter designed a home that puts all the client’s living space on the main floor, so she won’t need to navigate stairways later in life. We also included a walk-out lower level for her kids to use, complete with a separate entrance and a bunkroom.

To maximize opportunities for taking in the gorgeous surrounding scenery, we incorporated a patio, a screen porch and plenty of windows — including the floor-to-ceiling glazing in the 14-foot-tall living room.

In addition, we were purposeful in how we oriented the home on the site. Those living-room windows? They face north, ensuring the most even daylight with the least amount of glare. Kitchen windows face the driveway and approaching road, providing a clear look at who comes and goes. And the primary bedroom is situated so the client can wake up to a stunning view of the valley outside.

The home is under construction now. But you can already start to envision how our client’s future home will look and feel. Take a look at these images.

Our design rendering.
The real thing, taking shape!
Simulated view from the northwest.
Same angle, real life.
Panoramic view from the kitchen.
Living room windows, exterior.
Living room windows, interior.
The walkout basement will feature a sliding-glass entrance.
Bedroom window: What a sight to wake up to!
Front entrance design.
Front entrance construction.

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