White Oaks Savanna Residence
Status: Completed 2024
Location: White Oaks Savanna, Minnesota
Builder: Redstone Builders Co.
Interiors: PLAAD
Photography: Round Three Photography
Our client came to us with a clear and inspiring goal: to create a multi-generational home that could adapt to their family’s evolving needs while honoring the natural beauty of a six-acre restored prairie in eastern Minnesota. From the outset, it was evident that this project was about more than just building a house—it was about designing a home that would exist in quiet dialogue with its landscape.
They expressed a deep emotional connection to the prairie landscape, comparing its quiet vastness to the calm of the ocean. This poetic comparison revealed the project’s central challenge: how to design a home that wouldn’t compete with, but rather complement and frame, the natural beauty around it.
The one-story linear form is oriented with public and private zones arranged to follow natural daylight patterns – private spaces enjoy early morning light while public areas capture late afternoon and evening light. Deep overhangs and carefully placed glazing balance daylighting with passive solar control, reducing reliance on mechanical systems. The home’s restrained geometry enhances its role as a quiet frame for the surrounding prairie.
Durable weathering steel clads the exterior, chosen for longevity and its ability to visually harmonize with the changing tones of the prairie grasses. Non-native landscaping is minimized to support prairie growth right up to the structure, reducing irrigation and maintenance. All site runo! is directed to a detention basin, protecting nearby wetlands.
The design also anticipates future needs, with infrastructure in place for solar panels and a detached home office/pool house to support remote work. Through thoughtful planning and integrated environmental strategies, the home becomes a sustainable, adaptable, and deeply rooted response to both site and client.
