Southfield, Michigan | A mid-century ranch home had not been touched in more than 50 years. Situated on a low hill overlooking the Rouge River basin, the overgrown site had the potential for a spectacular renovation. With beautiful views off the water with a lower level that had never been finished, Tim Nichols Architect added a lower level entrance, living room, bedroom, second kitchen and a room lined with Western red cedar to accommodate a large hot tub. We turned the main floor hallway into an arcade to open the views of the surrounding landscape and invite cooling breezes from the river basin through a ventilating skylight above the stair.