This striking landscape intervention from RoehrSchmitt Architecture + Design transforms the space between house and lake into a theatrical sequence of cascading terraces, reimagining what’s possible in backyard deck design.
Broad bluestone slabs emanate from the home’s massive board-formed concrete chimney creating steps down the natural slope of the site. These bold horizontal forms echo the home’s modernist geometry. Weathering steel planters punctuate the deck’s terraces, their rust-red patina creating dramatic contrast against the cool gray stone. These geometric vessels house native ornamental grasses—feather reed grass, fountain grass, and little bluestem—adding movement, seasonal color, and organic shapes.
The descent flows through an expanse of turf, culminating in a stone firepit positioned at the sandy shoreline. The architectural precision of the upper terraces yields to the organic beauty of the lake, a strategy that won this project a second-place (tie) honor at the 2025 Midwest Design Awards. Each level offers distinct outdoor experiences: intimate seating among the grasses, an open lawn for activities, and a cozy spot for enjoying evening fires near the lake.
Photography Scott Gilberston
See more standout projects from the 2025 Midwest Design Awards.
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