On the edge of Lake Joseph in Ontario, this year-round retreat by Akb Architects is designed to blend elegantly into the rugged terrain that surrounds. Clad in wood, the one-story family cottage is perched above a long, linear boathouse, which maintains a quiet presence on the water.
The cottage comprises three distinct yet connected ‘pods.’ The central pod houses an open, communal family space and is flanked by a master bedroom pod on one side and a two-bedroom pod on the other side. The bedroom pods face a stone ridge on either side, creating a visual boundary that extends the perception of space while providing quiet and privacy. The two flanking pods are also angled slightly away from the centre pod to capture the longest views of the lake from the family communal area. Each pod also features a gable roof with deep overhangs, wide spans and exposed wooden trusses.
A rustic-semi-charred fir was used to clad the building exterior, which contrasts with large areas of glazing and a standing-seam metal roof.
Meanwhile, the interior floors, walls and ceilings of the cabin are finished in torrified ash, baked to achieve a deep brown colour. The use of one primary interior material serves to unify the interior volumes, lending a solidity that gives the impression of space being carved from the inside-out. Other interior features include a stone fireplace in the common area and basalt stone floors in the passageways between the pods.
