cabin creative
This cottage solved a host of challenges so well it was recognized by the Ontario Association of Architects
“The roof makes you think that a stealth fighter has landed among the trees.”
This is how Bill Birdsell, president of the Ontario Association of Architects, describes his impression of Clear Lake Cottage, a 2013 OAA award winner. Indeed, its runwayesque row of inset deck lights could support the theory, but when you look closely, this low-slung, skewed trapezoidal structure is definitely a landhugger.
Ted Watson, partner at MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects and the architect in charge of this project, worked closely with the owners to perfect the design. After spending summers in the original 1950s cottage in Seguin Township, they realized they wanted the new structure to be fully connected with the property. Hearing rain on the roof, wind in the trees, enjoying the scents of the forest, the dappled light and the breeze off the water were very important to them, as was a design that was light, airy and modern. Practicality was also a consideration as the building would be used year-round and had to accommodate multifamily stays as well as quiet retreats, so needed both communal and private spaces.
The final design met all goals, but resulted in a 2,300-square-foot structure that would not be easily identified as a cottage. Matte-black industrial corrugated metal covers the roof and outside walls, and as there are no visible eavestroughs, roof and walls meet in tent-like fashion, without an overhang. Corrugated polycarbonate makes seamless skylights over indoor/outdoor areas. Lines are clean and crisp and irregular, as the roof is made from four different, somewhat triangular planes. From some angles, the roof is barely visible, but it is six metres high at its peak.
Inside, Douglas fir plywood is the lining of choice, as the owners specified that no drywall be used. With a light stain, it looks warm and inviting on walls and ceilings. A series of mahogany-trimmed floor-to-ceiling windows and doors on the building’s east side invite early risers to watch the mist on the lake’s surface burn away as the sun comes up. The master bedroom; an open-to-the-lake dining terrace; the great room used for cooking, living and dining; and a screened porch all share this east, mostly glass, wall. Ceilings are nine feet high, and flooring throughout is radiant-heated Retroplate polished concrete. This is a building of intentional contrasts.
Mr. Watson explains: “The approach to materials was to achieve a feel that was inviting but not precious. To do this, we took a deliberate high/low approach — we mixed very fine materials with rough and more industrial finishes — a mix of the luxurious and raw.” The mahogany windows and carved Algonquin limestone countertops are examples of luxurious finishes. Their warmth and richness is counterpoint to the “monolithic black bar” that houses two fireplaces (in the main room and in the screened porch), shelves and seating that runs the length of the building, separating the public areas from
‘We took a deliberate high/ low approach with materials’
bedrooms, bathroom and utility room. These private areas are up one step from the main floor along the western wall. Mr. Birdsell praises the windows in these rooms: “They smartly used mirrored glass to keep solar gain down so that occupants don’t feel like bugs under a magnifying glass.”
Also on this side of the house is a room with a wall of built-in cabinets hiding, among other things, the television. A sanctuary of sorts, it has a wall of glass, and accordion doors that can separate it from the rest of the house if it is needed as a fourth bedroom on this floor.
One of the most unique and endearing features is the indoor/outdoor terrace between the master bedroom and the great room. It is completely open on the side facing the lake, and features a boulder found on the property and planted there by design, “... to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor space,” Mr. Watson says. I suspect it would be a favourite spot for children, but then, they already have their own space.
The strip of loft on the west side is an ideal bunkie for kids. Open to below, it sports a barracks of four single beds on one side (I imagine lots of giggling late at night), a bathroom, and a double bedroom on the other side (I imagine lots of shushing late at night). On the far north and south corners are small, low windows where the younger set can spy on their elders below.
This is a unique building, especially in how it realizes its owners’ goals. A modern, open, airy space, it is perfect for indoor/outdoor living. Ventilation, for cooling and carrying along those woodsy aromas and forest sounds, is achieved by leaving the doors to the hallway open. Breezes move through the indoor/outdoor terrace, across the hall, through the bedroom and bathroom doors and out the windows on the other side. Perfect alignment makes this work. The same thing applies to other rooms. And as for rainsong, the metal roof must sound like a symphony.
The house also hugs the natural contours of the land, so it is only one step up at any entry point. And without a full second storey, it does seem stealthy, as though it crept in from the forest and lay down among the trees. Or, as Mr. Birdsell suggests, perhaps it just landed.