Nature Link

Nature Link is a 14-acre lakeside retreat in Nisswa, Minnesota — pairing Scandinavian-inspired architecture with a deep respect for its forested site to create a place for people to slow down, connect, and breathe.

Nature Link

A retreat among the pines — designing to unplug.

Set on 14 acres along Clark Lake, Nature Link Resort was imagined as a quiet hideaway for guests to reconnect with nature and themselves. The project brings together a hotel, private micro-cabins, and a dedicated event venue called The Catalyst — all designed to immerse visitors in the surrounding landscape rather than compete with it. The goal was simple: to create a place that encourages slowing down. From sunrise coffee on the deck to watching northern lights dance above the treetops, every space invites guests to linger and notice where they are — to smell the pine needles, hear the loons, and feel the calm of the north woods.

Year _2023
Location _Nisswa, Minnesota
Renderings _NOMINN
Photography _Cultural North

Nisswa

Clark Lake — where land, lake, and story meet.

Nestled among the lakes of central Minnesota, Nisswa carries a deep history shaped by the Ojibwe people, early settlers, and generations of artists and explorers. The name “Nisswa,” derived from the Ojibwe word Nisswae meaning “three,” refers to the trio of nearby lakes — now known as Roy, Nisswa, and Clark. Clark Lake itself bears the story of Col. Freeman Thorp, an artist whose portrait of Abraham Lincoln hangs in the U.S. Capitol. His family’s search for healing in Minnesota’s northern air would eventually lend the lake its name. Today, the area blends heritage and hospitality — a place where forest and water frame daily life. Nature Link builds on that spirit, designed as both refuge and continuation of Nisswa’s long relationship with nature, creativity, and care.

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The Catalyst — architecture for celebration and connection.

At the heart of the resort, The Catalyst serves as both anchor and gathering place. The 15,000-square-foot event center accommodates every stage of a wedding day — preparation, ceremony, and reception — within a single, cohesive experience. Its two-story Scandinavian-inspired form plays with three roof heights that reveal the building’s interior zones. The upper-level ceremony room appears to float among the pines, enclosed by floor-to-ceiling glass that frames the lake beyond. Warm finishes, daylight, and a fireplace create a sense of intimacy that balances the scale of the space. Across an interior bridge lies the bridal suite, a light-filled retreat complete with lounge, kitchenette, and balcony overlooking the water. Below, the reception hall opens onto an expansive patio with bar service, kitchen, and lounge areas — all arranged to keep guests connected to the landscape and to each other.

The Frame cabins — minimal design, maximal calm.

Scattered along the lakeshore, the Frame cabins extend the resort’s philosophy of immersion in nature. Each micro-cabin is wrapped in dark flat-panel cladding with a vertical wood shell that projects toward the lake, grounding the form while drawing the eye outward. Inside, three walls of glass erase boundaries between interior and forest. King-size beds, gas fireplaces, full kitchens, and spa-like baths with skylit soaker tubs make them both simple and luxurious. From morning sunlight glinting on Clark Lake to the night chorus of peepers, each cabin is designed as a front-row seat to the natural world — a quiet reminder that comfort and restraint can coexist beautifully.