LedgeWater Camp
Honor Award // Excellence in Architectural Design - Residential
Architect // Murdough Design, LLC
GC // Wood and Clay, Inc.
Engineer – Civil // Northpoint Engineering
Engineering – Structural // RSE
Engineering – HVAC // RJZ
Landscape Architecture // LJLA
Description
Located on the site of a prior “camp”, Ledgewater Camp is designed for a family of four and their guests. It seeks to celebrate and connect users to the natural environment by prioritizing the experiential: sequencing circulation along unfolding spaces with views to heighten a sense of discovery and connection to the dramatic lakeside site, a dense Hemlock-Hardwood Pine Forest with steep topography and monumental outcrops of exposed ledge. The buildings integrate with the landscape in an organic way, as if their placement was inevitable. This includes terracing and massing that echoes the topographic geometry and a material palette that emulates the textural and neutral coloration of the exposed granite ledge and forested slope. The inter-connected interior and exterior spaces provide varying degrees of physical and visual connection to the site - ranging from the connected, expansive, and dramatic, to the very intimate, private and sheltered.
Jury Comments
This project received an Honor Award in recognition of its exceptional approach to residential transformation and landscape integration. The jury was particularly impressed by the project's ability to preserve and elevate the character of the existing envelope and original structures, while introducing highly refined and carefully crafted new interior spaces. Demonstrating an exemplary balance between restoration and contemporary living, the elegant intervention reveals a deep understanding of the existing architecture and its inherent qualities. Through meticulous attention to detail, the design creates a rich spatial experience that enhances the building's functionality and livability while maintaining its architectural integrity. The project establishes a strong continuity between architecture, landscape, and connecting circulation, with carefully framed views, material relationships, and seamless connections between indoor and outdoor spaces creating a unified and immersive experience. Recognition was given to the quality of the interiors, where thoughtful spatial arrangements and material richness enhance both domesticity and connection to the site scenery. The project was ultimately recognized for its sophisticated execution, sensitive preservation strategy, and refined integration of existing fabric, contemporary design, and natural surroundings.
Photo credit: Trent Bell