This house on Lake Washington occupies the border between land and water. The young family lives here so they renovated their cottage in order to give space for contemporary lifestyle. They kept the good things like the friendly scale and casual beach cabin feel but added a new 400 square feet ground-level and 1000 square feet second floor. That gave them more brighter rooms with inner skin made of cedar and glass that imparting warmth and transparency. Over the glass and wood is protective shell of steel that can weather winter storms and the damp lakeside climate. [Johnston Architects]

Photos by Will Austin.