An expansive forested and wetland site in rural eastern Ontario is the home to a vast range of animal and plant life. The area is replete with amphibians, waterfowl, and large mammals, including bear and moose. A young couple, seeking an antidote for their former urban lives, acquired a two-hundred-acre parcel in this region to reestablish themselves alongside these neighbours. 

The home they built for themselves is set far away from the sole road in the area. In order to further reduce its scale (its living area totals just over 3,000 square feet), the home is broken down into three pavilions, separated by glassed-in zones, that simultaneously serve as primary living areas and, moreover, observatories for the surrounding wildlife and ever-changing vegetation. Whereas others might have sought to have a tall home to tower over the land and its natural inhabitants, here, the design’s single-storey, very low profile furthers the home’s deference to the natural landscape. Likewise, the single storey ensures accessibility, enabling the clients to remain despite the challenges brought on by aging.

The home’s exterior is clad with variegated wood siding to help dematerialize the solid portions of the design and local slate, which also extends into the home’s foyer. The roof will be planted with sedums and features an extensive sculptural array of scuppers, which in addition to providing drainage, serve to amplify the sound of summer rainfalls.

Since the quality of the surrounding landscape changes greatly as the sun strikes the coniferous trees to the east or the deciduous trees to the west, the home is oriented closely to the cardinal points. In this way, the glazed spatial links – observatories -- between the solid pavilions receive a dynamic light show around the clock and throughout the seasonal changes. And, since different animal species also follow different diurnal and seasonal patterns, there is a constant engagement with the new neighbours.