§ 01 — THE FORM
The Lantern
This is the Lantern Boathouse on Little Lake Joseph. We’re early in construction — the steel structure of the dock is up, but you can already read the shape of the building from the framing, and it’s not conventional. The geometry that gives this project its name is visible in the steel profile even before walls go on.
We’re working on this one with Snowetta, an architect out of New York. Their design for this project is the kind of thing that takes a few minutes to absorb on site. The boathouse is one and a half stories, with a form that will read very differently from the water once it’s clad and finished. We’ll be back with more videos as it comes together.
§ 02 — THE STEEL
Two Stories, All Steel, Eight Feet Over Water
The structural system on the Lantern Boathouse is entirely steel — two stories and the roof, all framed in steel rather than wood. That’s partly about Snowetta’s geometry requiring it, and partly about structural performance: this building is carrying significant loads over water, and steel gives us the precision and capacity the form demands.
The most unusual structural moment is the cantilever. The boathouse extends eight feet past the end of the dock at one end — out over the water with no piles underneath. A steel frame runs from the dock structure up through the floor plane, across the ceiling, and over the roof, acting as a continuous element that transfers those cantilever loads back to the dock. No posts in the water. No piles driven at the far end. The building just stops, mid-air, over the lake.
§ 03 · THE TOUR
Watch the Early Construction Walkthrough
We filmed this right after the dock steel was up — structure bare, geometry fully readable, none of the finishes on yet. Good moment to understand the scale before the walls close it in.
§ 04 — THE SLIPS
Platform Lifts, Kebabini, and a Seamless Dock
Inside, the Lantern has two boat slips, both fitted with platform lifts. When the boats are up, the dock surface inside becomes continuous throughout the slip area — no openings, no water visible at grade. Steps lead up to the cantilevered section at the far end, and a staircase connects to the upper storey.
The dock decking is Kebabini — an environmentally treated wood, 5/4 by 6, thinner than standard decking, which is why we’ve tightened the spacing on the steel stringers underneath. The longevity estimate is 25 to 30 years. It’s a more expensive product than conventional pressure-treated, but the longer service life makes the math work over time. Less frequent replacement, less disruption to the dock system overall.
§ 05 — THE THROUGH-LINE
What Snowetta's Geometry Asks Of a Builder
The Lantern Boathouse is demanding to build. All-steel structure. A cantilever over open water. Tighter-than-standard framing for the dock deck. An architect on the other side of the continent driving the design details.
We’re on this project because these are the constraints we find interesting. The complexity isn’t incidental to the Lantern — it’s what the building is. More to come as the structure closes in and the form starts to read from the water.
