T he driving force behind the design of this private residential retreat, built on a remote island in Georgian Bay, is an element that can be felt but not seen: the wind. So named for the near-constant gusts that envelope the four buildings on an acre of Precambrian rock, Whistling Wind Island is part of an archipelago near the community of Pointe au Baril—in the middle of cottage country in Ontario.

For some, the conditions would be a detriment. But for this family of three, which includes an avid kite surfer, the wind was a major selling point. “The clients purchased it in part for the wind and gave it this name, which is very appropriate,” says architect Kelly Buffey, partner and creative director at Akb Architects, the Toronto studio that led the project. “The wind really does whistle here, and it’s a haunting sound.”

The water is just as dramatic and un-predictable as the wind. In fact, inclement weather of all types plays a part in Whistling Wind Island’s allure. “We’ve been when there’s so much fog that it’s difficult to see in front of the boat,” Buffey says. “There’s an element of danger, but it makes you feel very alive and very aware.”

Buffey and her team inherited two original buildings and, to minimize impact to the natural site, built on top of both of their footprints. That plan also made sense because the existing buildings sat on the highest points on the island. The new main cottage consists of two bedrooms, a shared washroom, and an open concept living, cooking, and dining space, while the bunkhouse has two additional bedrooms, a shared ensuite, and a living space with kitchenette.

Two more freestanding buildings—a sauna and a boat storage/fitness area—were part of the new owners’ vision for Whistling Wind. Buffey recommended pinning them to the rock instead of blasting through it to create foundations. “With everything here, our goal was to be light on the land,” she says. “All the buildings are meant to look and feel solid yet also disappear. If you removed them, you’d just find the original geological conditions.”

For all four new buildings, Buffey found inspiration in an iconic painterly muse. “Think of the impression the wind has left on the trees in a Tom Thomson painting,” she says. “We wondered, ‘How do you approach that in terms of architecture?’ ” Buffey’s solution: to situate the buildings at different angles to maximize the views and make them appear scattered by the wind. She also designed asymmetrical rooflines to further the windswept aesthetic. The effect is a random appearance born of a methodical approach.

The exteriors of all structures are clad in cedar-shake shingle—a contextual nod to the trees that stood on the island originally. Buffey also admired the sustainability and rustic quality of cedar as a primary material. “Cedar shakes are responsive to the landscape, with an organic quality that changes over time,” she says. “They become a quiet yet bold expression of architecture and shelter. There are seasons to the landscape and seasons to the cedar.”

Buffey also brought the cedar inside, lining the walls with western red cedar tongue-and-groove board in a whitewashed finish. The boards run horizontally, in keeping with the long, low horizon lines outside, and continue onto the ceiling. The tongue-and-groove application continues on the interior doors, but this time it runs vertically to represent the subtle threshold between the cottages’ public and private spaces. The ceiling serves as a similar marker. In the living areas, it’s vaulted, but in the bedrooms and bathrooms, the ceiling is flat and lower, creating a feeling of intimacy.

For the fireplaces—a focal point in both the main cottage and bunkhouse—Buffey selected Muskoka granite with two different finishes. In the main cottage, the fireplace-surround granite is honed, whereas in the bunkhouse, it’s five-point rusticated stone.

Working on an island meant Buffey’s team had to be strategic with material choices. Everything had to be brought in by barge: no pouring of concrete or use of cranes. Fireplace stone was specified in sizes that could be transported without complication. Even the window sizes were scrutinized. “The windows are all large but still within a range that could be handled easily,” Buffey says.

The interior furnishings and decorative lighting, which were chosen by Toronto designer Anne Hepfer, highlight and frame the quiet drama of the island outside. Natural materials such as linen, leather, and wood, a restricted palette, and minimal ornamentation ensure the views remain the primary attraction.

Though the property has gained international attention, the whole point of Whistling Wind Island is to blend in, not stand out. “In this pristine environment, it’s about the raw beauty of the landscape,” Buffey says. “We wanted to have an architectural presence but still blend into the rock out of respect for the beauty of the island, and also the neighbours who pass by on boats.”

Whistling Wind is one of the farthest inhabited islands from the mainland, and Buffey says the remote location, as well as the nature of the cottages themselves, is what makes it so compelling. “You feel a sense of isolation, but it’s the type of isolation everybody craves,” she says. “There’s a purity and rugged quality to the idea of ‘What is nature?’ And how do we live in the midst of it when we’re completely secluded out there on an island.”

Photographs by Doublespace Photography.

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