Mississippi River Residence

Custom Home | Central Minnesota

Phased Home on the River

The homeowners, a young couple in their 30’s, embarked on their custom home journey in 2019 with the most impressive programming document we have ever seen: 24 well-designed pages containing their wish list, annotated inspiration images, and even a table of contents. They had a beautiful lot on the shores of the Mississippi River in Central Minnesota and wanted to design a home for their future family.

Instead of completing a huge home now for their future children, the clients wanted to build (and live) small in the present. They decided to phase the construction of their home. We designed their ideal future home in 2 phases: one phase for their life “now” and one for their life “later.” Their home can expand with their family.

The now-completed structure, which is Phase 1, will be their home for the next couple of years. This home has a unique combination of a compact studio apartment, sun-filled conservatory, dramatic stair, and 2-car garage.

Stairwell

The stairwell is a major design element in the home. It’s location serves two purposes: Now, in Phase 1, it greets visitors at the front entry; In Phase 2, it will strategically to “click” into place with the other half of the home, connecting both pieces. The future hall to Phase 2 is located as the base of the stair in what is now a crawl space. While the rest of the foundation is poured concrete, the location of the future passageway is made of concrete masonry units (CMU), which can easily be knocked out when Phase 2 is complete to connect the spaces.

The steel stair itself was made off-site and then delivered in large pieces to be installed. It takes careful coordination between all parties - the architect, the builder, the structural engineer, and the welder - to create a successful custom stair. The interior designer, InUnison Design, selected a bright wallpaper with custom graphic to stretch the 33’ high wall.

Living Space

The upper level is a 500 sq. ft. “studio” that serves as the bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. Although not actually an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), this home utilizes similar efficient design features, including a compact kitchen with a mini-fridge and wall-hung stovetop burners.

Bathroom

The shower’s portholes were a whimsical last-minute decision. When visiting the construction site, the homeowners peered through the shower’s stud framing to see a spectacular view of the Mississippi River beyond, which they wanted to capitalize on.

We riffed on the wet nature of the shower by designing portholes which are placed like bubbles floating upward. The three sizes – papa bear, mama bear, and baby bear – are for the three family members. The bottom bubble is placed low enough for the toddler to peer through. These “bubbles” lookout above the staircase, through a large window, to the riverbank beyond. Due to the portholes’ location above the stairwell below, privacy is maintained.

Conservatory

The conservatory is a sunny, multi-use space and serves as the living room and entertaining space until Phase 2 is built. It contains plants year-round, adding life to the Minnesota winters. Air plants are suspended high up on the wall in ceramic tiles. This flexible space functions as a pottery studio, as well.

Exterior

A key priority was to minimize any exterior maintenance. The metal roof is unphased by the elements and quickly sheds snow. It wraps down the front and back of the home, creating a tough exterior shell. The gable ends, which shine as the “warm middle” of the home, are clad in a composite wood material. This exterior siding has the visual warmth of wood with the durability (and low-maintenance) of composite siding.

Project Collaborators: John Kraemer & Sons Custom Builders, InUnison Design, and Bunkers and Associates Structural Engineers. Photography by Alyssa Lee Photography.

Awards: 2023 RAVE Awards, 2023 Midwest Home Design Awards

Publications: Midwest Home Magazine Article