Eye Land at White Oaks Savanna
Custom Home, New Build | White Oaks Savanna Development in Stillwater, MN | Awards and Publications: 2022 Star Tribune Home of the Month, Featured Home in the 2020 Homes by Architects Tour, Featured Project on Andersen Windows, Featured in Mpls. St. Paul Home & Design Magazine, Best of Houzz 2022 Winner, Featured on Houzz, Featured on the American Institute of Architect’s website
Situated amongst rolling hills, gentle valleys, and quiet ponds shaded by ancient heritage trees, the windows are the eyes of the home. The owner’s 3-year-old daughter named this home “Eye Land” because it made her eyes happy.
Eye Land was the first home in White Oaks Savanna, a residential community near Stillwater, Minnesota. The site is an open savanna with 360-degree exposure with few trees. This four-sided exposure required us to think about animating all four sides of the home, rather than focusing only on a front and rear elevation. To accomplish this, we relied on simple ingredients: scale, color, and proportion.
Instead of placing the home on top of the hill, we nestled the home into it. The end result is a home that feels at ease in the open savanna because it uses simple ingredients to create a quiet yet confident exterior, and an interior that embraces the expansive landscape.
Window Design & Placement
We selected a quiet gray exterior and black-framed windows. On the front two gables, light-blue windows add a pop of color without additional cost. A covered front door surrounded by natural wood warmly greets guests.
The home’s largest single window, 4’ 6” wide by 7’ 0” tall, helps camouflage the visual bulk of the attached garage. As Chris described in his interview with the Star Tribune, the large garage window “actually decreased the scale and distorted the proportion.”
Strategic Views
In each room, window placement and layout were considered with near and long-range views. For example, the dining room has windows on three sides to offer an immersive view of the wetland and sweeping views across the prairie. In the owner’s suite, the bed was intentionally placed on the same axis as a distant 200-year-old oak tree.
The clients, in an interview with the Star Tribune, reflected on how the hall window frames an oak tree beyond. They stated, "We didn't ask for this, but we know that this was very intentional. [Christopher Strom Architects] thought of what the views would look like through the changing seasons and maximized the beauty around us."
Layout for a Family
Eye Land is designed for a young, active family. The main living space is open between the living room, dining room, and kitchen. When working at the kitchen island, the homeowners have a clear view of their children playing in the front yard. The spacious butler’s pantry, located directly behind the kitchen’s “back wall,” has an additional countertop, upper cabinets, and a second oven for prep space.
“Working with CSA made our project possible. They met us where we were at and designed the perfect forever home for our growing family. Their architectural expertise and collaborative working style made the entire process enjoyable, giving us the opportunity to bring our vision to life. We would undoubtedly choose to work with them again on future projects.”
To learn more about the design, watch our informal video of Chris and Eric discussing the project:
Eye Land was designed and built in collaboration with Redstone Builders, InUnison Design, Travis Van Liere Studio, and White Oaks Savanna development. Windows by Andersen Windows. Photography by Spacecrafting.