It’s their H initial, of course. But that’s not why architect David O’Brien Wagner chose it. The H shape makes the most of the Horsches’ special lot - a wedge-shaped slice of land overlooking Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis. click here, click here
“They wanted a connection to what was happening out on the lake,” said Wagner, of SALA Architects. That led to the idea of two building elements, a pair of separate wings “wedged” apart, with one set at a slight angle to maximize views. click here, click here
“A lot of the buildings around the lake are very formal; their presence doesn’t speak of welcoming,” Wagner said, while the Horsches’ home’s very structure “welcomes the landscape into the building, like two arms outstretched.” click here, click here
Being inside the screened porch or the living room, both of which face the lake and the street, is almost like being part of the action outside, with its parade of pedestrians and cyclists. click here, click here
They’d lived near Lake of the Isles for more than 30 years, in one of those formal, traditional homes - “a typical south Minneapolis foursquare,” said Mary. “We raised our daughter there, and it was a wonderful house.” Now empty nesters, the couple decided that it was time to move to one-level living because of health issues. But they didn’t want to leave their beloved neighborhood. click here, click here
The house needed some updating, so the Horsches consulted with Wagner, whose work they had admired. But the soil conditions of the site and the rambler’s inadequate foundation made remodeling impractical. “It was cost-prohibitive,” Wagner said. “We moved on and started fresh,” tearing down the old house to make way for a new one. click here, click here
That opened up the possibilities of truly making the most of the site and creating a home that expressed the Horsches’ taste and lifestyle. They wanted a house that was modern in style, with clean lines and square edges - but without the wide-open floor plan common in many of today’s contemporary homes. click here, click here
Because of the lot’s soil and drainage requirements, the new home sits on a raised slab, built on pilings, which gives it an elevated vantage point on its bustling lake setting. “The water table dictated where the slab could be,” Wager said. “It meant the main level of the house had to be sitting up out of the ground.” click here, click here
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