- Project: Pleated House
- Architect: Johnsen Schmaling Architects
- Location: United States, Door County, Wisconsin
- Year: 2021
- Area: 172 m2
A Home in the Woods
The Pleated House, designed by Johnsen Schmaling Architects, is a contemporary retreat for a couple seeking refuge in the natural beauty of Door County, Wisconsin, a narrow peninsula on Lake Michigan. Tucked into a dense forest of deciduous and coniferous trees, the 1,855-square-foot residence dissolves into the wooded landscape with a modest form and a material palette deeply connected to its environment.
Exterior: Pleated Charred Cedar
The residence is defined by its pleated cladding, inspired by the irregular ridges of tree bark. Boards of charred Northern Wisconsin cedar are installed over furring strips of varying depths, producing a softly undulating façade that catches light like a pleated curtain.
The blackened cedar skin, complemented by clear varnished cedar, anodized aluminum, and glass, creates a restrained yet highly tactile exterior. This layered surface blurs the home’s crisp geometry, offering an ambiguous boundary between architecture and nature.
Entry and Spatial Flow
A narrow gravel road leads to a trellised forecourt carved deep into the home’s rectangular volume. The compressed entry sequence converges at a glazed vestibule before continuing into a covered outdoor room at the rear, framing cross-views of the wooded site.
A wall of angled milled lumber, finished with a glossy varnish, extends from exterior to interior, visually anchoring the entry. Inside, an open-plan living area flows into the outdoors through oversized sliding glass doors, connecting to a linear sunken patio edged by an illuminated concrete bench.
Interior Minimalism
In contrast to its textured dark shell, the interior is serene and minimal. White walls, lacquered cabinets, and polished grey concrete floors form a neutral backdrop against which the surrounding foliage becomes the dominant visual presence.
A sculptural steel staircase, supported by slender vertical rods, rises delicately from the living space to the upper-level bedroom suite. Above, an expansive vegetated roof reinforces the home’s ecological sensitivity and further integrates it into the forest setting.
The Pleated House exemplifies Johnsen Schmaling Architects’ ability to merge architectural rigor with natural context. By translating the language of tree bark into pleated cedar cladding and pairing it with minimalist interiors, the project offers a retreat that is contemporary yet deeply rooted in the landscape.
