In a forest of birch and spruce trees along the Kawartha Lakes, the cottage is designed as a two storey, multi-uses space for a large family. The structure, composed of a 7m high A-frame pitch roof covered in black steel and charred cedar siding. A deep cut in the building volume creates a cantilevered overhang for a protected outdoor terrace with mirrors to further give the illusion of the building containing the forest within.
The feeling of nature continues into the interior. The main living space is designed as a self-contained interior volume, while the peripheral rooms are treated as part of the landscape. Fourteen openings in the living space reveal both inhabited areas, skies, and trees. Equally treated and further articulated with finished raw edges to show the inherent nature of the materials used.
The abstract nature of the interior spaces allows imagination to flow. Spaces that are identified as a domestic interior can suddenly become play spaces. A solid timber staircase leads to a loft which has the feeling of ascending into tree canopies as sunlight softly falls on a wall covered in fish-scaled shingle stained in light blue.
The cottage incorporated sustainable principles, using local materials and traditional construction methods. The black wood cladding of the exterior is a technique of charring cedar that acts as a natural agent against termite and fire. Thick walls and roof provide high insulation value, a central wood hearth provides heat, and deep recessed windows and skylights provide natural ventilation and lighting.
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