abstract idea of a lantern with a little hat on top. It mirrored
the [Asian-style] lanterns we used at our wedding. No one else
seemed to understand what we were going for, but Michael
got it right away. He put all the pieces together.”
The result is a three-story, four-bedroom, 2½ bath house
that won the People’s Choice Award in a 2007 statewide competition sponsored by the Vermont chapter of the American
Institute of Architects. It’s an impressive accolade for Minadeo, who launched his own architecture and design firm, Michael Minadeo + Partners, only a few years ago. “The site had
a lot of building restrictions,” says Minadeo. “The town was
very concerned about the footprint — we couldn’t increase it
— and the overall impact of the new construction. My imme-
diate reaction was, ‘If we can’t build out, we’ll build up.’ ”
He designed a 24-by-24-foot central living space, stacked
in three stories. The lowest level has three bedrooms, all facing the lake, a laundry room, and a large bathroom with a side
door that opens to an outdoor shower and the lakefront yard.
Anna and Steven occupy one of the bedrooms, and each of
their boys has a room of his own. When their sons are older,
the couple plan to move to the top-floor master bedroom and
bath, which is now used as a guest suite. On the upper two
floors, small balconies tucked into corners feel like cozy tree
forts. “This site takes on a lot of weather and wind from the
lake,” says Minadeo. “On the balconies, you can be outside
yet still have some sense of shelter.”
