Two Architects in New Brunswick Design Themselves a Home for Living Boldly
Stephen Kopp and Monica Adair put their design values into practice for their family home in Saint John.
For many architects, the toughest client can be oneself. That was the case for Stephen Kopp and Monica Adair, two architects living and working in New Brunswick. After purchasing a piece of property in Saint John, the couple, who are partners in life and in work, spent several years using the land for recreation before building a new family home for themselves and their two young boys.
“We wanted a home that would allow us to live our values and get the most out of life,” says Adair, who co-founded Acre Architects with Kopp. “Play, exploration, community, and connection to nature were all integral to the home.” In spending time on the property, the family enjoyed cookouts with friends while the kids climbed trees, scaled rocks, and swam in the tidal waters. “Building to capture that spirit was important to us,” Kopp says.
With the property located in the Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark, the relationship to nature was paramount, not just for connecting to outdoor living but also for building in a way that would respect the rocky, coastal site. The home is organized around different apertures so the design frames nature in every direction. “Each frame shapes moments of pause, gathering, and movement, transforming views into shared experiences,” Adair says.
Off the dining room is a double-height covered terrace, the social heart of the home where the family can engage with nature in every season. A sliding glass wall allows the dining room to open fully to the terrace, blurring the line between inside and out. “Recently, we were hosting a birthday party for a friend and the power went out,” Adair recalls. “It was fantastic—we opened the large sliding doors and just felt and heard the power of the wind blow through the deck as we stayed sheltered at the table together. We were camping in the house.”
Drawing on Atlantic maritime building traditions, the house is clad in red shingles to recall the language of colourful coastal buildings. “The home’s colour references the nautical adage ‘red right return,’ which means marking a safe passage back to harbour,” Kopp explains, noting that local sailors often send the couple pictures of the house seen from the water below. “In this way, the house operates as both a private residence and a shared landmark woven into collective ways of reading land, water, and home.”
Ultimately, the home has become a touchpoint for the couple both in terms of family life and for their architectural work. “In our practice, we believe that each project is a catalyst for experience, creating places that foster connection, curiosity, and shared meaning,” Adair says. “Designing this house was an exercise in finding out what mattered to us and how we aspired to live. We are grateful we were able to create a place that reminds us we have one life to live and to get the most out of it.”
