In Ontario, This Home Seeks to Provide Privacy
The second property on the site from Akb Architects, this cottage joins a pre-exisiting boathouse and dock.
One of the drawbacks of having a beautifully designed house or building, for those seeking privacy, is the scores of onlookers who come to view it. When Akb Architects completed a dock and boathouse in Muskoka, just such a situation arose. Curious onlookers would float up to the structure on their boats hoping for a better look at the award-winning structure.
This meant that when an accompanying cottage was being designed and built, privacy was a main concern. Firstly, the cottage was set back from the shore and built into a hillside, more easily concealing it from the surface of the lake. Its positioning means that from the entranceway the home appears as a single storey, with a lower floor opening out to a clearing facing the lakeshore.
The inspiration for the design, alongside the need for privacy, was the floating wooden docks found all over Muskoka. As a result, the home is made up of flat, two-dimensional elements, without curves or even a pitched roof. The house and boathouse share a common architectural language, having been conceived at the same time but completed years apart.
The upper level is guarded from view by a large overhanging roof, and the entire building is clad in dark wood that helps it blend into the surroundings and increase the sense of seclusion and privacy. The roof also extends far enough to massively increase the area of the upper floor by providing sheltered outdoor space. The large glass windows allow clear views to the lake and the surrounding landscape, again protected from overeager outsiders by the overhanging roof.
The interiors are dominated by a black granite wall that occupies a central position on both floors, and has been grouted and carved to mimic the striations of rock. The overall palette is minimal, with little in the way of bright colours or attention seeking materials. Instead, the focus was on elevating the minor details, such as custom biscuit joinery in the plywood walls that hides transitions between planks.
Sustainable practices were also top of mind when designing the cottage. Geothermal ground source heat pumps are used for heating and cooling the home, and embedded carbon was limited by using locally sourced material, such as the Canadian pine used for the exterior.
