Welcome Center
Framing the Future, North House Folk School’s Welcome Center
As part of the Framing the Future campaign, LHB partnered with North House Folk School to design its new Welcome Center, completed in September 2024. This multilevel facility brings together classrooms, administrative offices, a school store, and gathering spaces that support hands on learning and community connections.
Located along Highway 61 on the shore of Lake Superior, the Welcome Center serves as a prominent and welcoming gateway to campus and a key component of a $7 million fundraising campaign focused on North House’s future. Rooted in the School’s mission, the building enriches lives and strengthens community by providing a student centered environment dedicated to learning and preserving traditional northern crafts.
Crafting a New Beginning
We collaborated with North House Folk School to design the Welcome Center, a three story timber frame structure that serves as the campus’s new front door. With sweeping views of Grand Marais Harbor, it connects students to the broader campus and creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
Local Materials, Lasting Impact
The Welcome Center at North House Folk School blends modern design with traditional character. A defining element of LHB’s approach is the use of locally sourced white pine timber, reinforcing the building’s natural aesthetic while supporting sustainable practices and the regional economy.
Designed with Purpose
Every detail — from the thoughtfully planned layout to the integration of handcrafted elements — reflects LHB’s commitment to excellence and a deep understanding of North House’s values and heritage. The location and visibility of the expanded school store strives to bring the public inside the Welcome Center and introduce them to the magic of craft.
The entryway features beautifully crafted mosaics by North House instructors, complemented by locally sourced white pine timbers.
Heavy timber beams, expansive glass panels, and a welcoming entry draw visitors into the school store — an open space that seamlessly blends natural materials with functional design.
Designed to showcase the expansive world of craft, the school store features a warm wood ceiling, durable tile flooring, and light colored walls that create a bright, welcoming backdrop.
This bright, lake level classroom is filled with natural daylight and fresh air from operable windows. Nearby restrooms, elevator, and exterior doors enhance accessibility, creating a comfortable, flexible environment where instructors and students can craft at their own pace.
This elevated bridge overlooks the plaza below and features operable windows that invite refreshing lake breezes. A small meeting room is integrated within the structure, seamlessly connecting the school store to administrative offices and creating a functional, scenic workspace.
North House partnered with instructors and local contractors to cut and raise the white pine timbers for the Welcome Center, shown here in the second floor classroom. This collaborative effort reflects the school’s mission to enrich lives and build community through traditional northern crafts.
