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Cardwell Clubhouse
Cardwell Clubhouse
Muskoka District Municipality, ON, Canada
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Other Projects by Dubbeldam Architecture + Design
Cardwell Clubhouse
Muskoka District Municipality, ON, Canada
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2025
SIZE
1000 sqft - 3000 sqft
An off-grid clubhouse blends leisure, craft, and sustainability into a place for gathering and play.
Set at the edge of a clearing for the photovoltaic array that powers the main cottage on the site, Cardwell Clubhouse is an off-grid hybrid building that is part utility and part leisure hub. Designed by Dubbeldam Architecture + Design for an outdoors-oriented family who spend much of their time on the site immersed in nature and active pursuits, the clubhouse functions as the site’s central social and activity hub. It combines a multipurpose clubhouse room – doubling as a flexible guest suite – with a garage that stores outdoor leisure equipment for activities like racquet sports, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and more. An adjacent outdoor court for tennis, basketball, and pickleball (created in the clearing necessitated by the solar array), along with areas for bocce, horseshoes, and children’s games, reinforce the clubhouse’s role as a destination for gathering and play.
Conceived as a single, elongated volume, the building distills the familiar geometry of Ontario’s agricultural buildings into a refined contemporary archetype. Its form is simple and strong: a long, narrow, one-storey volume capped by an expansive gabled roof with deep overhangs on all sides. The roof becomes both a threshold and a gesture of shelter, anchoring the building low to the ground while framing the surrounding forest and adjacent sport courts. The building’s exposed timber beams extend through the overhangs, establishing a clear rhythm and conveying the honesty of its structural form.
At its two ends, the building connects directly to the site: one side meets the driveway approach, while the other hugs the crest of a hill overlooking the lake. The program is arranged in two distinct halves. On the lake-facing side, a warm, wood-lined living area functions as a multipurpose recreation room with a kitchenette and washroom. Large sliding glass doors open directly to the sports court, creating a seamless flow between indoor activity and outdoor play. Flexible furnishings enable the room to accommodate both casual gatherings and overnight guests. On the driveway side, a spacious, utilitarian garage stores the family’s outdoor and water-sport equipment, including a dedicated battery room that supports the site’s renewable-energy system. Together, these spaces support the family’s outdoor-focused lifestyle and provide a separate place for guests beyond the main cottage.
Material restraint reinforces the clarity of the architecture. The interior is wrapped in locally milled hemlock and cedar, with vertical wall boards accentuating the vaulted ceiling. A durable grey tile floor supports the building’s year-round use, accommodating muddy boots and wet gear. Externally, dark-stained vertical wood siding grounds the clubhouse within the forest, while the exposed timber structure and deep eaves reference regional agricultural and lodge vernaculars.
Sustainability is a central feature of the project. As part of a larger off-grid compound, the clubhouse is powered entirely by the nearby solar array, supported by on-site battery storage that ensures full energy self-sufficiency. High-performance insulation, triple-glazed windows, radiant in-floor heating, and FSC-certified wood products contribute to energy efficiency and a low environmental footprint. Sourced from a local mill, the wood structure and finishes further reinforce the project’s commitment to sustainability and regional material culture.
Though modest in scale, the clubhouse serves as a gateway to the site – visible on approach and setting the architectural tone for the structures beyond. According to principal Heather Dubbeldam, “Everything is pared back to essentials: structure, shelter, and craft.” This restraint allows its geometry, a study in proportion and precision, to create a presence that is quietly bold – an interpretation of the vernacular shed refined into a functional, flexible, and deeply grounded retreat.
Set at the edge of a clearing for the photovoltaic array that powers the main cottage on the site, Cardwell Clubhouse is an off-grid hybrid building that is part utility and part leisure hub. Designed by Dubbeldam Architecture + Design for an outdoors-oriented family who spend much of their time on the site immersed in nature and active pursuits, the clubhouse functions as the site’s central social and activity hub. It combines a multipurpose clubhouse room – doubling as a flexible guest suite – with a garage that stores outdoor leisure equipment for activities like racquet sports, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and more. An adjacent outdoor court for tennis, basketball, and pickleball (created in the clearing necessitated by the solar array), along with areas for bocce, horseshoes, and children’s games, reinforce the clubhouse’s role as a destination for gathering and play.
Conceived as a single, elongated volume, the building distills the familiar geometry of Ontario’s agricultural buildings into a refined contemporary archetype. Its form is simple and strong: a long, narrow, one-storey volume capped by an expansive gabled roof with deep overhangs on all sides. The roof becomes both a threshold and a gesture of shelter, anchoring the building low to the ground while framing the surrounding forest and adjacent sport courts. The building’s exposed timber beams extend through the overhangs, establishing a clear rhythm and conveying the honesty of its structural form.
At its two ends, the building connects directly to the site: one side meets the driveway approach, while the other hugs the crest of a hill overlooking the lake. The program is arranged in two distinct halves. On the lake-facing side, a warm, wood-lined living area functions as a multipurpose recreation room with a kitchenette and washroom. Large sliding glass doors open directly to the sports court, creating a seamless flow between indoor activity and outdoor play. Flexible furnishings enable the room to accommodate both casual gatherings and overnight guests. On the driveway side, a spacious, utilitarian garage stores the family’s outdoor and water-sport equipment, including a dedicated battery room that supports the site’s renewable-energy system. Together, these spaces support the family’s outdoor-focused lifestyle and provide a separate place for guests beyond the main cottage.
Material restraint reinforces the clarity of the architecture. The interior is wrapped in locally milled hemlock and cedar, with vertical wall boards accentuating the vaulted ceiling. A durable grey tile floor supports the building’s year-round use, accommodating muddy boots and wet gear. Externally, dark-stained vertical wood siding grounds the clubhouse within the forest, while the exposed timber structure and deep eaves reference regional agricultural and lodge vernaculars.
Sustainability is a central feature of the project. As part of a larger off-grid compound, the clubhouse is powered entirely by the nearby solar array, supported by on-site battery storage that ensures full energy self-sufficiency. High-performance insulation, triple-glazed windows, radiant in-floor heating, and FSC-certified wood products contribute to energy efficiency and a low environmental footprint. Sourced from a local mill, the wood structure and finishes further reinforce the project’s commitment to sustainability and regional material culture.
Though modest in scale, the clubhouse serves as a gateway to the site – visible on approach and setting the architectural tone for the structures beyond. According to principal Heather Dubbeldam, “Everything is pared back to essentials: structure, shelter, and craft.” This restraint allows its geometry, a study in proportion and precision, to create a presence that is quietly bold – an interpretation of the vernacular shed refined into a functional, flexible, and deeply grounded retreat.
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