The Clear Lake Cottage proposes a simple tent-like envelope to house both program of the summer home and the sheltered outdoor spaces under a single vernacular form. A singular roof presents a child-like impression of house; rectilinear and ordered in symmetry while playfully skewed in volume. Nestled within a forest, the building is sculpted and stepped to take advantage of the land; modelling the natural grade. Open and closed faces respond to shoreline views or quiet wooded depths. Like a tent the porosity of the building’s envelope strengthens the experience of ‘cottage’. All the while achieving privileged views to the lake while separating family members for sometimes much need privacy.