A young couple asked DA to help create “a place to share with friends, a place for adventure and exploring, being a kid again, cooking together, experiencing nature and being part of something bigger.” The result is a long-term plan for “restoring the soul of the property” including designing this main house, renovating a number of existing cabins, and generally creating a more sustainable landscape and building infrastructure for future generations.

Key products used:

The choice of materials was made to fit the palette of the landscape and evoke the traditional farmhouses and cabins of the islands, but with a modern take that fits the freshness of the clients and that would serve them for generations to come.

Stained cedar siding - durable, tactile, natural, sustainable 

Salvaged wood siding - siding with a story (salvaged from snowfences and old barns, weathered from its previous life), sustainable 

Natural stone from BC - natural, tactile, sustainable (not shipped halfway across the world), had longevity and "grounds" the building 

Lots of glass for a strong connection to the landscape 

Metal roofing - durable 

End-grain wood flooring - durable and resilient, with a natural variation

What was the brief?

A young couple with an extended group of friends, all ready to start families, that wanted to have a place to retreat and spend time together, a place where they could build a tradition with each other.

They wanted a place to share with friends, a place for adventure and exploring, for being a kid again, for cooking together, experiencing nature and being part of something bigger than themselves.