Off a state highway along a "false" river, an oxbow lake made by the Mississippi River, lies a narrow site which slopes down to the water, shaded by a 100-year-old cypress tree. Descending the slope, a long skinny camp lies ready for summer weekends and fishing.

In Louisiana, where the natural environment is volatile, wet, hot, humid, and extremely fragile, most buildings resist these extreme conditions. Contrary to the conventional approach, GATOR House encourages interaction with the Louisiana's natural environment. Primarily, it creates human comfort in the seemingly uncomfortable and privileges social interaction in generous outdoor social living spaces. More porch than interior room, almost all occupancy happens under roof or in the shade of the tree. This includes living, dining, cooking, celebrating, and bathing. Using natural ventilation, fans, and deep shade, heat, humidity, and insects are controlled to establish human comfort outdoors. Secondly, it is raised above grade to protect from flooding and is made from materiality that does not rot, resists insects, can get wet, and be wiped down when it gets dirty.

The camp consists of three sleeping rooms, a kitchen (indoor and outdoor), two "living" porches, one long side porch, two bathrooms, and a mezzanine. The main bathroom, split by function, is accessed from the upper porch and allows many users to engage simultaneously. All porches are screened, maximize ventilation and shade, and can be completely closed with nine roll-up doors when the owners go back to the city for work.  

The owners asked that the camp to be durable and low-to-no maintenance. To fulfill this request, the exterior walls and roof are skinned in durable galvalume metal while the floors are recycled vinyl flooring, tile, and composite lumber for easy clean-up. The kitchen uses sealed reclaimed cypress for shelves and counters. Employing recyclable, recycled, or reclaimed materials, the goal is to create an occupancy that can last and resists construction waste.

A camp is a wet and dirty space and the context, although densely populated, is still the country. Gator House handles these variables and allows the owners complete relaxation and enjoyment at their getaway.