Ordinance and Code Compliance

Several years after completing a lake home for their primary residence at Clear Lake, the clients reached out to Lynn once more. This time, they were interested in exploring the possibility of designing and constructing an auxiliary residence across the street. The primary intentions for this new building were to provide comfortable accommodations for guests, create additional storage, and offer a dedicated area for indoor recreation. Faced with numerous restrictive town ordinances, Lynn skillfully designed a compact yet functional two-bedroom, two-bath home. The structure is planned atop a conventional concrete slab foundation for durability and ease of construction. The design includes one and one-half stories, featuring a spacious and inviting front porch that leads directly into an open-concept great room, dining area, and kitchen. Additionally, the oversized garage is planned with a 10-foot ceiling height to accommodate a golf simulator, enhancing the recreational possibilities of the space. The home will [...]

The property owners, located on the sloping banks of Snow Lake in northern Indiana, initiated contact to discuss the demolition of their current seasonal residence and the construction of a permanent, year-round home. The residence, designed by local architect Mike Christoffersen, was created to accommodate the unique challenges presented by the site. The final product is a traditional two-story home with a walk-out basement. The property's slope allowed for the creation of a 576 sq ft storage and storm cellar beneath the garage, easily accessed via double doors that face the lake. The residence will provide 2,083 sq. ft. of living space on the main and upper floors, in addition to 671 sq. ft. of finished area in the lower walk-out level. The structure will include four bedrooms and three and one-half bathrooms, as well as a two-car garage. Two 85 sq. ft. balconies on the upper levels will offer [...]

After several years, this new home under construction represents our second project on Blue Lake in Whitley County. The property owner contacted us regarding the design and construction of their new residence on this narrow, steeply sloped lot. Following the completion of a comparable project on Snow Lake during the preceding summer, Lynn was able to incorporate design elements from that previous undertaking. A notable opportunity presented by sloping lots, such as this one, is the integration of storage space beneath the two-car garage. This is achieved through the utilization of precast concrete slabs to span the 454 sq. ft. storage area, which is well-suited for use as a storm shelter. Given that the storage area is the sole component of the structure situated below grade, the home is technically a two-story structure on a slab, although it bears a resemblance to a one-story residence with a walk-out basement. Another [...]

We were approached by the owner of this beautiful property about designing and building a new home. The existing home on the coast of Sylvan Lake in northern Indiana was tired and it was determined to be unrealistic to update and expand it. So the plan to demolish the home and start with a clean slate was the logical path forward. Lynn has designed a home with 1,693 sq. ft. of living area on the main level and 1,751  sq. ft. of finished area in the walk-out lower level. The owner's suite is on the main floor which is designed to be universally accessible. An attached two car garage will provide convenience that was lacking in the original cottage. An open great room, kitchen and dining area will have a beamed cathedral ceiling and will offer spectacular views of the lake. The versatile lower level provides a second bedroom, large [...]

The owners of this property on the west shoreline of Clear Lake came to Lynn seeking to expand and remodel the home to better accommodate family and guests. The lack of an attached garage was another priority on their wish list. As is the case with many lake properties, challenges in complying with size and setback ordinances played a large part for Lynn's redesign of the existing layout. The result was the expansion of the lakeside bedroom on the 2nd floor with a new dormer and the repurposing of another bedroom to a loft. Two new bedrooms were added above the new single car garage and a new formal entry, which was lacking in the existing home. Completing the expansion on the 2nd floor was a new full bath and laundry closet. Room was made in the lower level expansion to add a new master bath with walk-in shower, which [...]