Residents along Michigan’s west coast, with visions of custom designed builds, have found a big assist from three Grand Rapids architecture firms.
For Robert Sears, prospective homeowners are engaged from conception to completion.
“We sit down with the client and make them part of the design process,” said Sears. “We get into the minutiae in what they’re looking for and get them involved in the process until the home is done. Some understand the drawings better than others, but everyone has some sense. The last six months of building we’re in constant contact. Many of our clients end up becoming friends.”
One of the homes is in Ada overlooking the Thornapple River. A standing seam metal iron ore roof with gray stone lends an ornate presence. The driveway ends with three large glass windows giving the home ample exposure. An open floor plan merges the kitchen, living room and bar. The 18-foot ceiling has steel cable trusses custom fabricated by Zahn Builders. Eight-foot clerestory sliding glass doors allow views of the river and open to a terrace. Three pendant fixtures, by Visual Comfort, are located in the central space.
At one end of the home, the master suite has an office and access to a terrace, recessed hot tub, cold tub and fireplace. On the opposite side, there’s a terrace with an outdoor kitchen.
“They wanted detailing to be appropriate in that space. We had to make sure it looked good,” said Sears. “The house has a contemporary look and the color of the stonework with the windows and roof.”
The back of the house has a walkout patio on the second level with clerestory windows.
Jeff Visser has tackled thousands of projects in his 35 years as head of J. Visser Design.
Always interested in a challenge, Visser met with a client who envisioned a beach house on a dune above Lake Michigan in Whitehall. Submitting his design to the former owner, a month later, Visser was approved.
After two years, it was completed in 2008. Nestled 60-feet up the sloped razorback dunes into a bucolic setting it’s an architectural masterpiece. Due to environmental restrictions, a six-foot wide by quarter mile elevated boardwalk was constructed first to gain access to the building site. The elevated metal boardwalk served as the primary access for construction activity.
Beauchel stone was brought in from Fond du Lac, WI. which clad the exterior alongside copper paneling, glass, ipe, and steel. Due to the small buildable area atop the dune a 20×60 main house and two 20×20 guest pods are all connected with exterior cantilevered decking for seamless access between the buildings. This also allowed for various outdoor areas to enjoy views of Lake Michigan and the surrounding forest.
An iron spiral staircase outside the home extends three floors. The first floor has an expansive patio with a large stone fireplace and chimney at the opposite end of the home. Facing west are a series of windows, the second floor is also lined with windows. Patios extend off the second floor; the third floor has a deck. Ceiling steel support beams inside connect the outside support structure. The master bedroom has eastern exposure with windows peeking through the surrounding trees to Lake Michigan.
“It came out like I envisioned and better than expected,” said Visser, a self-taught architect who started at age 21. “It’s important to understand the client thoroughly, visit the site and the neighborhood. It’s like putting a puzzle together.”
As a child, Brad Douglas Tilma developed a passion for basketball and design. Earning a scholarship to Cornerstone University, he was a starting point-guard for three-years and led the Golden Eagles to the national championship his senior year. A business marketing and computer systems major, he started working for a Grand Rapids architecture company in 1999. Digesting everything for designing homes and drawing construction plans, he opened Brad Douglas Design in 2015.
“I learned a ton working in my first job,” said Tilma. “Handling designs and working with clients was a great experience.”
His first major home in Ludington received great reviews and the company has been busy ever since with projects in metro Grand Rapids to Traverse City and New Buffalo.
Two miles from downtown Manistee, the homeowner found a spot, secluded by 50-foot-high trees, to construct Copper Creek Cottage.
“The owner wanted a home that was nestled into the dunes with a commanding view of Lake Michigan,” said Tilma, who worked with Colonial Builders and Dwellings Inc interior designer. “The owner had very good taste and was very detail oriented. The builder and I spent a lot of time at the site prior to construction. The home has the feel of a timeless sophisticated lodge. It’s not fussy, there’s rich material in every space. It feels like it’s meant to be part of the property. It’s amazing the way it turned out.”
The Brombal steel patio doors are imported from Italy. Stone delivered from New York gives an elegant rustic look across the exterior. Adroitly cutting the stones, the masons were able to fit everything at a variety of angles.
Perched on a 40-foot-high sand dune, the home and connecting guest house exude a rustic elegance. Two carriage style double garage doors and a cedar shingled roof meet the driveway.
Adjacent to the front door is a 20-foot-high window washing light up and down the stairwell. Light brown cabinets are across the kitchen that has hickory wood floors. The ten-foot ceiling has a series of 2×10 foot hewn wooden beams. Several light fixtures extend from the ceiling. A steel floating walkway connects the primary suite to the main house.
Among the many intricate details extended across the landscape is the pool and hot tub. Dug into the ground, it looks out over Lake Michigan. Just below pool level is a covered stone patio with two couches, a sink and outdoor kitchen. A sauna is located on the lower level. There’s a beautiful outdoor patio with breathtaking views connected to the guest house on the north side of the property. There’s an indoor patio in the guest house. Steps descend to the sandy beach.
New View: A Curated Visual Gallery — Twenty Magnificent Homes by Midwest Architects
Grand Rapids designers Robert Sears, Jeff Visser, and Brad Douglas Tilma are among the 20 architects featured in “New View — A Curated Visual Gallery: Twenty Magnificent Homes by Midwest Architects,” published by Beth Buckley of benton buckley books.
The book highlights “visionaries” who “unfurl their finest expressions of ‘home’ across landscapes both urban and pastoral.”
