ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES FOR THE LAKES PROVINCE
SITING
Place recreation structures near lakes for
views and access to water.
Thin, but do not clear, trees to provide views.
Respect the shoreline by observing setbacks
and preserving, enhancing, and restoring
natural shorelines.
Maintain a natural landscape buffer between
lakeside structures and the shoreline.
Consider what the shoreline might look like
when viewed from the lake.
Maintain a natural-looking shoreline rather
than a resort-like, poolside setting that
is paved and overdeveloped.
Build on rises of land overlooking the lakes
when possible.
Locate building to take advantage of
daylighting.
Site buildings for protection against
northwest winter winds and to catch
southwest summer breezes.
Plan for snow storage in parking areas
and roads.
KES
MASSING AND SCALE
Design buildings that feature compact
footprints to retain and conserve heat; with
compact footprints, buildings can be up to two
stories tall.
In frequently visited areas such as recreation
facilities, make the base of the structure
strong to express solidity and mass and to
protect the building from weather and animal
damage.
Make the base prominent and visible by raising
it and creating color and texture that matches
the surrounding landscape.
Step bases to adjust to slope.
Avoid basementsthey are expensive to build
and maintain because of high water tables and
they create universal access problems.
Make the bases of portal signs substantial so
that they appear to be anchored to the earth.
WALLS
Use horizontal materials and patterns
to emphasize low, horizontal structures.
Use vertical materials and patterns as
accents in gables.
Use timber structures, which usually have
rounded, smooth logs as opposed to raw
or split logs.
Use wide, large-scale lap siding.
Avoid synthetic products such as T-111
or fiberboard.
OPENINGS
Use porches for visitor and administrative
buildings; these work best when placed on the
gable end of a building or extended as a shed
addition.
Use windows that are more vertical than
horizontal.
Use double-hung windows.
Adapt openings to seasons with summer
screens and winter boards or shutters.
Avoid window openings in gables.
Avoid large areas of horizontal banded windows.
Add a vestibule to a building rather than
placing a vestibule within the footprint.
Screen vestibules for summer ventilation.
ROOFS
Design steep roof pitches of 7:12 or more.
Use hip roofs, which are common and can
diminish mass and scale of large buildings.
Incorporate broad overhangs on eaves to
protect walls from driving rain and snow.
Make rafter tails shorter than eaves to
protect exposed wood.
Avoid gutters and plan for drip lines.
Do not mix roofing materials.
Do not use flat roofs.
STRUCTURE
Expose and celebrate structural elements
such as brackets, trusses, and vaulted
ceilings in public areas of buildings.
Make vertical structure oversized to convey
a sense of permanence and to appear
massive enough to support the snow loads.
Do not expose mechanical or heating and
air-conditioning systems. This would create
a high-tech image unsuitable for the
Forest Service.
MATERIALS
Where so many of our basic building materials are
wholly new, we must search again for a natural way
to build. Frank Lloyd Wright
Use rock, stone, and other natural materials
that harmonize with the surrounding landscape.
Use manufactured stone and siding products if
selected and installed with care.
Meet the provinces expectations for craftsmanship,
good-quality materials, and a high level of
detailing.
Create a hierarchy of materials for a balanced
composition rather than mixing and matching
materials.
Smooth out the interior log, wood interior trim,
and other surfaces so that they do not gather
dirt.
Avoid obviously synthetic materials, such as
vinyl siding.
Avoid refined, dimensional pavers for pathways.
Figure expressing craftsmanship with refined interior trim such as:
Crown molding
Smooth wall surfaces
Chair rail
Base
COLOR
Choose colors that reflect local geology, vegetation,
and culture, taking cues from earth tones,
including rock, leaves, birch bark, and so forth.
Darker colors predominate in the color scheme.
Make color contrasts subtle.
Use muted colors rather than primary colors for
accents.
Use materials that weather naturally to
attractive colors and tones.
Examples of appropriate color characteristics include:
Medium-brown pine bark
Light gray bark
Low deciduous shrubs
Gray granite rocks