When Sylvia Balderrama and John Morley decided to rebuild their deteriorating family cabin on Lake Champlain, they faced a choice between preserving traditional Adirondack charm and embracing contemporary design. Their solution, created with architects Henry Ng and Jacob Esocoff of New York firm Ideas of Order, proves that modern architecture doesn't have to abandon the past entirely.
The family's connection to this stretch of Lake Champlain dates back generations. Morley's great-grandfather, a semi-itinerant Methodist minister, originally followed theologian Georgia Harkness to the area, where a community of fellow ministers established small, austere cabins. These early structures were more like monastic retreats than luxurious shore resorts, lacking indoor bathrooms, hot water, and other modern amenities. Even interior doors were discouraged due to concerns about improper behavior, and activities like playing cards were strictly forbidden.
Over the decades, the family cabin underwent numerous ad hoc additions, upgrades, and repairs that left it with sinking floors, leaning door frames, and countless cracks that allowed insects and other creatures inside. "The only way to make it more livable would be to tear it down and put in a foundation and rebuild it," explained John Morley. "I'm not a believer in saving old architecture. Everything is transitory, and I was tired of working on these houses."
For Sylvia Balderrama, who married into the family, the renovation represented an opportunity to create something that belonged to both of them. "I wanted something that was ours. I wanted it to be part of me, too," she said. Both were determined to avoid the stereotypical Adirondack aesthetic. "We both knew we didn't want the quintessential Adirondack cabin, because they seem dark, and we don't want animal heads on the walls," Balderrama noted.
The couple also rejected the typical rustic materials associated with the region. "We did not want the beadboard, knotty pine, logs, all that kind of stuff," Morley said. "I've seen knotty pine for the past fifty or sixty years. I've lived with it. I've had to repair it. I've seen it get destroyed by carpenter ants. I don't want knotty pine."
Working with Ideas of Order architects and contractor Mike Sherman of Bessboro Builders, the team created what appears to be a standard wooden cabin with a pitched metal roof but is actually an architectural anomaly. The structure is clad in oversized plywood shingles and filled with sleek surfaces that hide hardware and details. The facade features plywood mega-shingles and large windows that frame lake views, while the interior is completely clad in plywood, creating a warm glow throughout the space.
Architect Henry Ng explained their design philosophy: "Building a house that really felt like it was rooted in its environment, rooted in its history, was an important part of the design agenda. So much is great about the way people have built in this area for so many generations. We thought we should take a lot of what's great about it, do it in a way that we felt was interesting, and pay homage."
The construction approach prioritized simplicity and cost-effectiveness. The house uses standard American timber framing without steel beams or complex structural elements, keeping costs relatively low while achieving interesting spatial arrangements. "We thought about ways to do a rustication in the lens of a log cabin, but with this more contemporary system of marine-plywood shingles that play with that big scale," Ng added.
Contractor Mike Sherman noted the unique aspects of the project: "The facade is unusual. I had never done big sheets of plywood siding before that, which was a unique design." Despite its contemporary appearance, the construction relies on familiar techniques. "When you look at the facade and you see these four-by-sixes, they're very common. They're in every lumber yard," explained architect Jacob Esocoff. "But if you space them just right and you have the right proportion, they really take on this monumental, almost Greek temple feel to them."
The interior seamlessly blends modern design with meaningful cultural elements. Mexican alebrijes (colorful animal figurines) and textiles reflect Balderrama's heritage, while Japanese pottery and paintings acknowledge Morley's childhood in Japan. The living space opens onto a porch where Balderrama sits on a chair covered with a blanket she crocheted. Beech flooring from Junckers flows from the living area into the open dining and kitchen space, which features modular wooden cabinets from Montreal company Coquo.
Upstairs, personal history mingles with contemporary design. A Split lamp by Brooklyn designer Alvaro Ucha Rodriguez sits on a foldable desk that belonged to Morley's great-grandfather during his days as a traveling minister. In one bedroom, John crafted side tables from leftover plywood, while his father's childhood desk and a Virgen de Guadalupe blanket from a Juárez market add personal touches.
For Balderrama, the home's design philosophy reflects her cultural background: "In Mexican culture, you don't want to stand out, because if you stand out, you attract people's jealousy or envy or whatever, and that brings a curse on you. I don't ever think of this place as a showpiece per se. It's the setting for what happens."
Sherman observed that while the finished product breaks from regional traditions, it somehow fits within the landscape. "I would say it's probably the furthest thing from an Adirondack cabin I've ever built. I've never seen anything like that before up here. But in its way I think that it fits."
The project demonstrates that modern architecture can serve as a bridge between past and future rather than a complete break from tradition. As the family learned, a contemporary house doesn't have to be entirely detached from cultural roots. Instead, it can thoughtfully incorporate elements from the past while establishing new traditions worth preserving. The cabin now stands as proof that the choice between modern and traditional design may be a false dichotomy – the most meaningful architecture often emerges when both approaches inform each other.
