The Cottages at Cypress Point is not your typical Kiawah Island neighborhood.

Yes, like other Island enclaves, these luxury cottages enjoy golf course views, serene lagoons, and a central Island location that’s close to the beach. But the essence here is different.

A community of people happily immersed into the environment that flourishes in Kiawah’s grand trees, the development is the embodiment of responsible building—and one that left the landscape “better than we found it,” according to architect and developer Mitch Laplante.

Before breaking ground, Cypress Point’s natural setting included an amazing overstory of treetop canopies filled with birdlife. Yet little was happening in the understory below. A self-confessed tree-hugger, Laplante worked with the Kiawah Island Nature Conservancy to create a residential level that ensured the habitat for native animals was better than what existed pre-development.

The end result: sophisticated, small footprint homes that have turned the dream of living in a tree house into a smart idea. Maintenance-free exteriors include hurricane-rated windows, pressure treated wood trims, and standing seam copper roofs warranted for 200 years. Interior materials include select ipe flooring, hand-scraped Caribbean pine doors, hand hewn wrought iron railings, and sculptural walls that evoke an English cottage feel.

A superb example: 5550 Cypress Cottage Lane

Built around a noble oak, 5550 Cypress Cottage Lane is a remarkable home that celebrates this connection to the trees and to nature from every room, every window, and every outdoor space.