Lake Sylvia Retreat

While the project did not pursue any sustainability certifications, integrating sustainable design principles was of the utmost importance. The renovation improved the building envelope, which is now exceptionally well insulated and runs almost 100% on electricity. Any additions were made within the cabin’s existing footprint, minimizing its impact on the surrounding environment.

We have a responsibility to not only acknowledge but also elevate Native communities and their needs. This project sits in the area currently known as South Haven, which is northwest of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, one of eleven federally recognized tribes in what is now Minnesota. At the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, Coldwater Springs and other meeting sites represented “a place of healing and peace for centuries.” In 1805, tribes ceded 155,000 acres of land in this area to the U.S. government. Despite treaty violations and direct violence against Native people from the 1800s onward, Dakota and Anishinaabe people maintain connection to these places today. We honor their resilience. We encourage you to explore the stories of these communities through Native-led resources like the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s interactive timeline, the Bdote Memory Map, and Dakota artist Marlena Myles’ excellent land maps and audio resources.