This collaboration began with a bumpy UTV ride down a logging road, through an old farm field, and down to the lake. Tandem’s initial conversations with the client revealed a mutual love for traditional dry-laid stonework and an alignment regarding vernacular design, sense of scale, local craftsmanship, and patina.

The project brief was clear yet broad: help the property owner enhance the scenic character and environmental health of over 200 acres of woods, waterfront, and farmlands by editing and refining rather than adding and overhauling. At the land-planning level, they sought to aggregate and conserve a core tract of woodlands and open fields, while exploring opportunities to develop much-needed and attractive housing at the margins. At the site scale, they wished to add a handful of tasteful landscape amenities around their multigenerational cluster of lakefront cottages.