NOR-SON INC.
Baxter, Minn.
nor-son.com

Project name: Norr Trän Home
Project location: Northern Minnesota
Square footage: 9,100
Total project cost: Confidential

Embracing the sturdy balance of function and preservation, this 9,100-sq.-ft. home blends a rustic style with a touch of Sweden, and minimal impact to the heavily wooded lakeshore. Dovetailed, hand-hewn white pine was used for the exterior for refined timber elegance and complements the Appalachian quarried stone. The interior’s rustic appearance features reclaimed 1800s-era timber, cut and chinked to replicate timber construction in a conventionally framed, energy efficient home. The reclaimed oak timbers were also milled for interior paneling, and Douglas fir comprise the square slabs in the foyer for a tiled feature.

A challenge for Nor-Son in Baxter, Minn., was to design and construct a 9,100-sq.-ft. home while protecting numerous hardwoods on the property and creating an aged appearance as if it had been part of the landscape for decades. Access to the property was limited through a quarter-mile, 12-ft. wide winding forest path/trail. Reclaimed lumber was used extensively in this home for interior walls, trusses, flooring, ceilings and railings. The owners also requested the use of natural stones, colors and textures to give them and their visitors a relaxing, comfortable experience. All of these materials combine to create a seamless design.

To solve all of the challenges, Nor-Son minimized the scale of the house by designing smaller elements toward the end of the structure, stepping up to a central core, and preserving the old-growth pine trees on the property. Trees were wrapped and protected along the quarter-mile trail to the extent that a semi spent three hours backing out following a delivery. Windows were placed to frame both lake and forest views. Reclaimed lumber and native stone from various suppliers were selected through extensive photo correspondence and hand selection to maintain a continuous aesthetic appeal.