A simple yet stunning cabin in Serene Lakes is built to withstand the elements

A lack of eaves and overhangs mean less places for embers to get caught during a potential wildfire

Living in the Sierra Nevada is magical, but as mountain residents know, the snow that blankets the landscape in the winter can also collapse a roof, while in the summer, the area’s stately pine trees can turn to kindling. 

So when Lindsey Maclise and Ibbi Almufti, both structural engineers who live in San Francisco full time, decided to build in the Serene Lakes neighborhood on Donner Summit, they wanted a home that could mitigate as many of these risks as possible. 

The couple met architect Tara Sypriano through a mutual friend from UC Berkeley. “Tara was just starting her practice when we both met with her in Truckee and it just clicked,” Maclise says. “She was very good at listening to our hopes and goals for the home while keeping things in reality.” 

They first reached out in 2019, just a few months before Sypriano officially founded her Truckee-based architecture firm, Hedda Inc., in March 2020, with the mission of designing homes that honor the rhythms of daily life while reflecting the natural beauty of their surroundings. 

That mindset tracked with her clients’ desires for their home. 

“Lindsey and Ibbi wanted a home that honored the idyllic character of the Serene Lakes neighborhood but also brought a fresh and refined perspective,” Sypriano says. “Having deep roots in the community, they had a realistic understanding of the environmental demands of the area—particularly the heavy snowfall and increasing wildfire risks.”

Muted terrazzo tiles on the kitchen backsplash are meant to mimic drifting snow

Maclise grew up visiting the area; her parents owned a cabin in Serene Lakes until recently and her uncle still lives there. She brought Almufti up while they were dating, and “I fell in love with the place,” he says. “She taught me how to cross-country ski at Royal Gorge, and in the summer, I love kayaking, paddleboarding and mountain biking.”

The couple sought to build a modest-sized house for them and their young son, about 1,500 square feet, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a clean, minimalist aesthetic.

“Sustainability and resilience were our main design drivers,” Almufti says. “In terms of sustainability, we intentionally scaled back the size of the home to be a modest fit for our family.”

Sypriano began with a site analysis, checking view corridors, solar orientation, even using drone footage to make informed decisions about finish floor heights and window placements. From there, she presented two distinct designs, each rooted in the couple’s vision, but with different interpretations of form and function. 

“They immediately connected with the design you see today and, aside from a few minor refinements, chose to keep the concept intact,” Sypriano says. 

The winning choice features sleek lines, simple aesthetics and Scandinavian hues. Sypriano connected the couple with contractor Christian Edwards of Truckee’s Timberline Construction to take the next steps.

“Our biggest challenge right off the bat was with the high groundwater level,” Edwards says, noting the home’s proximity to the lakeshore. “With a limited budget and short building season for this area, we needed to design and construct a suitable building pad for the home, in which a high water table and unstable soils could be built around.”

Set on a quarter-acre lot, the home is simple yet sophisticated, the exterior a blend of metal and cedar siding. 

“We started with a traditional gable roof profile to respect the neighborhood’s architectural character, then applied a ‘push-and-pull’ strategy to enhance functionality,” Sypriano says. “The sleek metal gable roof extends gracefully down the sides of the home, allowing snow to pile up without a worry. At the front and back of the home, we extended the roof to provide coverage for the main entry and back deck, ensuring year-round usability and passive snow management.”

A view of the main gathering space from the loft

To account for the deep snow—the homesite is just under 7,000 feet in elevation—there are no windows on the first level, which includes the garage, storage room and mechanical room. Stairs rise to the main living space on the second floor, where the open-concept plan includes an elegant kitchen with open shelving and custom cabinetry.

“Having space to entertain was really important to us and we’ve enjoyed many family gatherings around the kitchen island,” Maclise says. “Tara did a truly amazing job in selecting the finishes and vision for the space, and Christian’s interior team was top notch.”

In the living area, the fireplace uses the same wood cladding as the exterior to blur the boundaries between indoor and out. Vinyl plank flooring is durable and low maintenance, while a glass window wall rises two stories and opens to the deck. 

Sypriano, who handled the interior design, drew inspiration from Donner Summit’s rugged peaks, crisp snow and alpine lakes. Indoors, the home is a mixture of whites and warm woods, balanced against black windows and trim and punctuated by deep blues. Both the kitchen backsplash and the bathroom floors use a muted terrazzo meant to mimic drifting snow.

“Strategic choices—like dramatic window placements and real terrazzo tiles—allowed us to introduce moments of luxury within a practical framework,” Sypriano says. 

A bathroom, kid’s room and guest room are also on the main living level. The primary suite resides on the third floor, where a dormer brings in additional light and views to the lake, and the loft-style floorplan allows views to the great room below. 

Construction began in July 2021 and finished in March 2023, spanning the COVID years, which, Edwards says, “gave challenges in constant material availability and price increases.” 

That time span included the record-breaking snowfall year of 2022–23, when Serene Lakes received more than 50 feet of snow. While the snowfall tested the design’s resilience, “the home’s thoughtful features—like the steep metal roof and elevated living spaces—proved to perform exceptionally well under those conditions,” Sypriano says, noting that construction was able to continue in between storms.

The bathroom features snowy whites, warm wood and muted terrazzo flooring

The project was truly a team effort. 

“Being structural engineers and working in construction helped us know what we do and do not know,” Maclise says. “We helped where we could but endeavored to trust Tara and Christian in the areas that they are stronger.”

Sypriano believes the clients’ knowledge and feedback made the home that much better. “Lindsey and Ibbi were deeply involved throughout the process, providing thoughtful input at every stage—from initial concepts to final material selections,” she says. “Their deep knowledge of the area and its environmental challenges informed critical decisions.”

Almufti also recently became certified as a wildfire mitigation specialist and used that expertise on the project. “I applied many of the principles in the design of our home, and included a number of other features, which did influence the architecture,” he says.

To mitigate fire risks, some of Almufti’s preferences included a simple design, with a metal roof without valleys or rain gutters (where, he says, debris can accumulate and wildfire embers can settle). Materials were carefully chosen for fire, weather and natural disasters. Earthquake precautions included a mechanical strengthening of the soil beneath the foundation. To mitigate flood risks, the team used exposed concrete for ground flooring and elevated it 2 feet higher than the outside grade. 

They were also careful to consider defensible space. All vegetation was cleared within 5 feet of the homesite, and all trees within 10 feet. Beyond that 10-foot radius, they thinned the rest of the property’s forest and cut limbs one-third of the way up tree trunks. 

While the design is unique, the homeowners wonder if they will see similar styles in the future. “We’ve actually heard a contractor and architect on our Ring camera inspecting our house and looking at the finishes and commenting on the metal, and now there are three more houses in our neighborhood with similar siding,” Maclise says. 

For now, the couple is happy that they have a stunning home from which their family can enjoy the beauty of Serene Lakes. And while they found the design and build ultimately rewarding, it was, they admit, stressful at times. 

The exterior as seen from the street

“The number of decisions that go into a home is overwhelming,” Maclise says. “We were very lucky to have an excellent team that worked with us through the whole process. Picking the right team is the most important step in starting this type of project right.”

Award: Unique Design

Building Design: Hedda Inc.

Builder: Timberline Construction

Interior Design: Hedda Inc.

Landscape Design: NA

Square Feet: 1,496