Lake Cle Elum Shapes A Modern Cabin For Snow, Sun, And Fire Year-Round
Lake Cle Elum anchors a crisp, modern house in Roslyn, WA, United States, where evergreens meet open water. Designed by sticklab, the residence occupies a small bench on a steep slope above the lake, paired with an 800-square-foot detached garage. The project steers toward clarity and durability, aligning large panes and low eaves with mountain weather and long views without losing the quiet feeling of a retreat.
A narrow road threads through pines before the lake opens and light scatters off the water. The house holds that view with a long glazed façade and a low, thick roofline that throws shade while marking the ridge.
This is a 2,800-square-foot house in Roslyn by sticklab, set on a steep lakeside shelf with an 800-square-foot detached garage. The throughline is climate and site: weight for winter, shade for summer, and materials that stand up to fire while framing the region’s drama.
Site And Aspect
The usable ground pinches to a slim terrace above Lake Cle Elum, so the plan runs parallel to the edge and keeps the long side to the view. Floor-to-ceiling glazing stitches living, dining, and bedrooms to the water and mountain backdrop, turning the slope into a visual foreground. A concrete retaining wall tucks the back of the house into grade, giving privacy toward the hillside.
Roof For Seasons
The roof carries real heft. Engineered for deep snow, its thickness also hides recessed interior shades that temper hard summer sun and keep glare off the lake. Broad eaves reach over the glass, trimming heat gain in the warm months and letting low winter light track across the floors.
Rooms On The Edge
Inside, a continuous wood plank ceiling warms the open living core while black-framed glass draws the eye outward. A central concrete chimney organizes seating with leather sofas on one side and a walnut dining table on the other, the hearth storing cut wood in a vertical niche. Bedrooms stay spare—built-in timber casework doubles as headboard and bench—so morning light and water fill the room.
Materials With Backbone
Rugged and fire resistant, the exterior reads in dark metal, concrete, and warm wood held to a tight palette. Inside, large-format tile underfoot keeps maintenance easy and responds well to tracked-in snow or sand from the shore. In the baths, a freestanding tub sits by the glass while a clear shower volume and a lit niche set a calm, functional rhythm.
Grounded Outdoors
A flagstone terrace collects at the lee of the house near a simple fire pit, ringed with low chairs and the scent of resin from nearby pines. From there, the deck slides along the glazing, turning the living room into a wind-sheltered lookout when weather moves fast across the lake.
Evening falls and the ceiling glow reads like a warm bar of light beneath the roof. The lake quiets, the glass turns reflective, and the house settles into its bench—season-ready, durable, and tuned to the edge between forest and water.
Photography courtesy of sticklab
Visit sticklab
