The James and Jean Douglas House (or just Douglas House) is a residence located at 3490 South Lake Shore Drive on the shore of

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

in Friendship Township near

Harbor Springs, Michigan Harbor Springs is a city and resort community in Emmet County, Michigan. The population was 1,194 in the 2010 census. Harbor Springs is in a sheltered bay on the north shore of the Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan. The Little Traverse Lig ...

History

In 1965, renowned architect

Richard Meier Richard Meier (born October 12, 1934) is an American abstract artist and architect, whose geometric designs make prominent use of the color white. A winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1984, Meier has designed several iconic buildings ...

was commissioned to design the Frederick J. Smith House in

Darien, Connecticut Darien ( ) is a coastal town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. With a population of 21,499 and a land area of just under 13 square miles, it is the smallest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast. It has the youngest population of any n ...

. The house was completed in 1967 and featured on the cover of a magazine, where it was seen by James and Jean Douglas of

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...

. The Douglases contacted Meier and asked him to create a similar design in northern Michigan. Planning for the house began in 1971; the original location chosen was within an upscale gated community. However, the white color of Meier's design was rejected by the community. Rather than compromise on the color, the Douglases found another lot, nearly unbuildable due to its steep slope. With a new location chosen construction began and was completed in 1973 after a three-year construction period. When Meier furnished the house for his clients, Jim and Jean Douglas, he designed some of the furniture himself and also used designs by

Le Corbusier Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (6 October 188727 August 1965), known as Le Corbusier ( , , ), was a Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer, and one of the pioneers of what is now regarded as modern architecture. He was ...

and

Mies van der Rohe Ludwig Mies van der Rohe ( ; ; born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies; March 27, 1886August 17, 1969) was a German-American architect. He was commonly referred to as Mies, his surname. Along with Alvar Aalto, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Frank Lloyd ...

. In 2007, the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

listed the Douglas House as one of the top 150 structures on its "

America's Favorite Architecture "America's Favorite Architecture" is a list of buildings and other structures identified as the most popular works of architecture in the United States. In 2006 and 2007, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) sponsored research to identify the ...

" list. In 2016, the Douglas House was added to the National Register of Historic Places."The Douglas House Added to National Register of Historic Places" ''Architect Magazine''.
/ref> The house has remained intact, with no additions or modifications to the physical structure, and no changes to room uses or layouts.

Description

The Douglas House is located on a very steep slope overlooking the lake. It is a four-story, bright white,

Modern Modern may refer to: History * Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Phil ...

structure with a flat roof clad with redwood. The overall form of the house is a large rectangle set on end. The rear wall of the house, which faces the lake, makes extensive use of glass to provide maximum views. The house is built of redwood (vertical Tongue and Groove boards) and is almost completely white. The foundation consists of a series of pilings hammered into the earth. The entrance on the upland side of the house is on the top floor, via a bridge. Stairways were located in the corners of the structure so that they would not block views or sunlight.Adelyn Perez
AD Classics: Douglas House / Richard Meier
''Arch Daily'' website.{{cite news , title= Dress White: Douglas House, Harbor Springs, Mich., 1971-1973, url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NTE/is_1_7/ai_106914141 , publisher= Residential Architect , first= Meghan , last= Drueding , date=Jan–Feb 2003 The fourth floor serves as the home's entry from the bridge, and contains a large exterior deck space; another smaller deck space is above the fourth floor. Below, the third floor contains three bedrooms, a full bath and an open, built-in work desk overlooking the second-floor living room. The second floor contains the living room, a wet bar and the master bedroom. The first floor contains the dining room, kitchen, laundry and another bedroom with a full bath. A sub-level beneath the first floor contains HVAC, water/electrical services and storage.

References

External links

Official website

Some exterior and interior photos of Douglas House (in Spanish)
Richard Meier buildings Houses completed in 1973 Houses in Emmet County, Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Emmet County, Michigan