Baw Beese House, Hillsdale, Michigan property

Baw Beese House and Hillsdale, Michigan

Architect: Disbrown Iannuzzi

Location: Hillsdale, Michigan, USA

Photos by Round Three Photography

November 21, 2025

Located in Hillsdale, MI, Baw Beese House is a multi-generational lakeside vacation retreat. The project is a contextual response to social, familial, community, economic, and health conditions, allowing multiple generations of family members to safely occupy a place together or separately for years to come.

The lake house is divided into four smaller volumes to minimize its visual impact and overall scale. Aside from the garage, three volumes function as individual cabins, which can be inhabited independently or in any combination, depending on which family members are present at the time. The space dedicated to the family’s matriarch includes a combined kitchenette and sitting area, bedroom, bathroom, and storage with views overlooking Baw Beese Lake.

This allows her to visit and inhabit the home without opening any of the other portions of the home. Similarly, there is a section dedicated to her daughter’s young family of four which includes two bedrooms, two bathrooms, dedicated HVAC, and storage. The third, and largest, volume contains the primary kitchen and living areas, along with a guest suite and lofted work area.

While this live-work volume can operate independently, it is often enjoyed as a central, gathering space when all family members and their friends are present on the same occasion. Glass corridors link the volumes, forming light-filled transitional spaces. With a focus on aging-in-place, the structure maintains a single floor level among all volumes, and the home appears to hover above the property as the site’s natural contours descend towards Baw Beese Lake.

The cabins are clad entirely in dark shou sugi ban wood, in order to blend into the surroundings and reinforce a feeling of continuity. Inside, oak rafters supporting the tall ceilings and long spans are offset by the minimalism of white walls and simple artisan furniture. Concrete floors ground the home on the sloping glacial terrain and complete an interior aesthetic that celebrates just the essentials.

The structure is sited to have minimal impact on the land and constructed to have minimal carbon footprint. Hydronic radiant heat in the concrete floor acts as a thermal battery eliminating the need for gas-fired furnaces while the polished concrete diminishes clutter and the need for additional finishes. Non-toxic, high-performance wool insulation manages moisture and regulates temperature in the walls which are clad in a responsibly-sourced shou sugi ban wood siding.

A standing seam steel “hot” roof is a low-maintenance solution for the remote home, and luxury high-performance windows round out the list of forward-thinking details. The result is a healthy building with improved indoor air quality that is highly functional regardless of the number of family members or guests hanging out for the weekend.

Baw Beese House in Michigan, USA – Property Information

Architect: Disbrown Iannuzzi – https://www.di.studio/

Project Name: Baw Beese
Location: Hillsdale, Michigan
Size: 4,300 square feet
Architect: Disbrow Iannuzzi
Client: Confidential
Status: Completed April 2024