Creative, imaginative work begins in the solitude of the connection of the mind-eye-hand. This solitary room with a table and a chair is a functional drawing studio.

The wood frame, 80 square foot space, sits on four legs at the edge of Round Lake.

The (lake facing) north and south elevations are glass in cedar frames. The sides are black tar paper with wooden battens. There is no plumbing, no electricity, and no insulation. In Steven Holl’s words, ‘The hut is so small that my body heat can heat it up. In the winter there could be snow outside on the ground, but the sun shines through the skylight and I can work in a coat. In the summer, it’s perfect, – there is absolute silence and I can concentrate.’

There is a one-by-four foot window (120 x 30 centimeters) at the floor facing east. The single water-coloring table can be moved and a futon unrolled toward the sunrise window. ‘I can sleep in the hut and wake up with the sun – I always wake up at dawn and I work in solitude. It’s like a Zen meditation.’

The strong presence of Round Lake is an element that led to choose this place. ‘The lake emphasizes the different colors of the sky and the trees, and the reflection of them is almost more intense than the reflected element itself. Every day is different and through these changes you have the perception of the cycle of time and the seasons; this doesn’t happen if you live in the city. When I work in the Round Lake Hut I can feel this deep connection with the earth, but at the same time my mind is on the site of the projects.’