Approached to design and implement a new estate on the shores of Lake Geneva, Pierce Builders, Lake Geneva, Wis., began this transformation by turning a late ’80s masonry detached structure into an English cottage name The Hollow. With a home and a detached structure on the property, the plan was to remove the existing home to create a new primary residence, and tie into the new home the detached structure, currently used as a garage, an exercise area and home office. Working with one of its design partners, Pierce Builders created a way to bring this project into view.

The primary home is based off an English manor style of architecture. It is a fairly grand sized home both in scale and footprint. Keeping true to the English theme, Pierce Builders wanted the out buildings to be as such as well. Between the designers and builders, they came up with the Cotswold look as a nice complement to the primary house being built.

The best design lead in this case, was the homeowner. The homeowner did a very good job of researching as well as the architect and Pierce Builders. The homeowner came up with a picture of a home, and immediately the architect and Pierce could run with that concept rather quickly.

The homeowners did have a couple of requests though. First, the team was asked to make the masonry structure blend with the surrounding trees and forestry. While converting the detached structure into an English countryside style building, the interior of the building needed to be designed as an entertaining area for guests and friends.

Second, the team needed to stay as historically accurate as possible on the budget given, which included building the exterior to appear as if aged by time to create a notable replica by installing all natural exterior products. The team would also have to custom fabricate as many items as possible to achieve a true “one of a kind” building.

“It was a goal to drive onto the estate and at first, not to see the entertainment home, and second, when you see the entertainment home not to see the primary home,” says David Pierce, president of Pierce Builders. “That was a bit of the design challenge. We had to fit in a road and maintain a hidden view. Although we had 3.5 acres to work with the lot is only 127 ft. wide.”

Stylistic Transformation

The team changed the topography of the land to accommodate the structure to blend and hide it into the hills they created.

This would allow them to pull off this project from a conceptual picture to a final product.