Gorgeous Yingst Retreat Nestled in a Michigan Forest has a Sod-Roofed Sauna

The Yingst retreat is a secluded home tucked into a forested site just three miles from Sleepy Bear Dunes on <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/lake-michigan/">Lake Michigan</a>. The client commissioned <a href="http://salmelaarchitect.com/yingst-retreat">Salmela Architect</a> to build a tranquil space that respects the local environment and nurtures the extended family. Comprised of a main house, separate small garages, a sod-topped sauna and a chimney building, the 4,000 square foot retreat isn't modest in size, but it does harmonize with the surrounding beech forest.

The sauna room has a sod roof

This home near Sleeping Bear Dunes Park on Lake Michigan is a retreat for the client's family

At 4,000 square feet, the footprint isn't modest.

Another patch of sod covers this protruded space

The client asked for very minimal landscaping, thereby preserving the natural environment

Extensive glazing permits morning and evening light to reach the interior.

The black out buildings are used as a truncated garage

Exposed wood columns give the home a natural, warmth aesthetic

Light timber lines the sauna room interior for optimum comfort

The wooden columns also seem to elongate the space

The open plan interior design is interrupted by a stair leading to the upper level

The clients are both chefs, so this kitchen is the highlight of the house for them

The home has an outdoor chimney house and slopes down to the water in step with the natural topography