Buchanan River House

This rural retreat along the shores of the St. Joe River embraces the many voices of a close-knit extended family. While contemporary in form - a nod to the older generation’s leanings - the house is built from traditional, rustic, and resilient elements such as a rough-hewn cedar shake roof, locally mined granite, and old-growth fir beams. The house’s east footprint parallels the bluff edge. The low ceilings of a pair of sitting areas help frame views downward to the waterline thirty feet below. These spaces also lend a welcome intimacy since oftentimes the house is only occupied by two. Larger groups are drawn to the vaulted ceilings of the kitchen and living room which open onto a broad meadow to the west that slopes up to a fruit orchard. The importance of group dinners is reflected in the bridge-like form of the dining room that links the two wings of the house.