Prefab construction simplified the building process of this northern Wisconsin summer home, where all materials required ferrying across Lake Superior.
When architect Charlie Lazor was commissioned to design an affordable, durable summer retreat on Lake Superior’s historic Madeline Island, he was aware of the location’s challenges. Because of its relative isolation, site-building results in a 20 percent up-charge for ferrying materials and equipment, such as a weighty concrete mixer, to the wooded site. The clients envisioned a modern cabin that evoked a rustic simplicity; Lazor, creator of the panelized FlatPak house, developed a new modular 1,600-square-foot open-plan Week’nder sporting a screened porch, traditional porcelain fixtures, and shed door latches. Mounted on tubular steel posts to minimize its ecological footprint (and the number of ferry crossings), the home stands out amongst the trees as a testament to both prefab’s tenacity against the elements and its environmental ethos.