Cottage

The story of Kahshe Lake Cottage started in 1987, when the parents of Solares’s own Tom Knezic bought the water-access property and built a small bunkie as a temporary shelter. Their goal was to then design and build their dream family cottage. When the 1989 recession hit, their plans went on hold. In 2015, Tom’s father passed away, and his mother decided that it was time to finish what they had started. The bunkie still sits on the original property, surrounded by outdoor projects created over the years, including the firepit, slack lines, bike trails, even a hammock zone. The new cottage is sited on the neighbouring property to the north, acquired more recently for this project. The site is full of forest and Canadian Shield... More

The "Dream Lab" transforms a 1830s cottage in Parramatta - a former lolly shop - into a dream-like, fluid, continuous space for writing workshops and storytelling to encourage creativity in kids in western Sydney. LAVA and the Glue Society have collaborated again to create a visionary space for the Story Factory, a not-for-profit creative writing centre for young people.   Chris Bosse, director of LAVA, said: “The architectural concept was to connect the four separate rooms in this heritage building with a continuous ribbon, to promote creative thinking with non linear solutions. Like pouring a bucket of creativity into the spaces, it flows throughout the rooms and splashes out onto the street.” ‘Dream Lab’ br... More

A new generation reimagines a piece of family history – Pest CottageOn-site of the family compound was a former work shed that had been converted into a sparse, yet beautifully located cottage, fondly reserved for unruly grandchildren to let loose. The latest generation to oversee the grounds saw potential to make the little retreat something modern and much more comfortable. The goal was to renovate the space without losing the original character or designing over family nostalgia.   Choosing moments that matter mostA very tight budget required being selective with changes that would have the greatest impact within the 950 sq ft space. Doors and windows were enlarged, allowing both light and views to become more prominent... More

A modest Edwardian cottage in a quiet street in the Melbourne suburb in Thornbury has been transformed into a light-filled and spacious family home.                                                                             The brief for the project was to retain the original charm of the cottage while transforming it into a functional and inviting home.   ... More

Internal rearrangement and extension to a historic cottage in a beautiful rural conservation village.   What was the brief? Having recently bought this charming old cottage in the heart of Fintry’s conservation area, our clients’ initial aspiration was to create a glass box pointing at the view: the Campsie Fells.   Together, we decided on a warmer solution to building in rural Scotland. We looked at the roof as a piece of Origami, with a glass clerestory below – protecting those views the homeowners were keen to elevate   What were the key challenges? Early liaison with Stirling Council Planning Department led us to a proposal that preserved elements defining the conservation area, like the white ha... More

Reinterpretation of traditions: building a house in Baden (France) The French municipality of Baden, located in the heart of the Gulf of Morbihan Regional Natural Park, offers a quality of life that is hard to find. In order to preserve and highlight the cultural and natural heritage, the buildings are obliged to follow strict regulations. Therefore, the main guide when designing this project by l’Atelier d’Ici was the compliance with existing rules. The developers and owners also had a couple of key ideas of their own: a contemporary house with plenty of light and large volumes of space.Twisting the tradition The local requirements dictate a number of the characteristics of the traditional cottages in this area of the French... More

Old Redford Cottage is a 16th Century thatched farm cottage located in Peasmarsh, East Sussex. The project involved restoring the original cottage and renovating both the interior and exterior, then adding a new contemporary side extension.   The extension is connected via a frameless glass link which leads into a large kitchen dining space with glazing to the garden terrace. The gardens are substantial and vary in level, so the new extension has been partially sunken into the ground to reduce its impact and reference the elevation lines of the existing cottage. This is emphasised by the cladding details, which combines a horizontal bank and vertical band of bleached white larch to line through with the line of the existing thatched... More

As part of Reimagining Wordsworth, the 2020 celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the great English Romantic poet, William Wordsworth, Wordsworth Grasmere has unveiled the first phase of a re-imagined visitor journey at Dove Cottage, Wordsworth’s former Lake District home. The newly-expanded Museum on the site, showcasing many of Wordsworth’s original manuscripts, will open in spring 2021 in a second phase of the project. Exhibition design and interpretative overview throughout is by Nissen Richards Studio whilst, in a separate commission, Nissen Richards Studio has also created a new Wordsworth Grasmere identity, encompassing all aspects of the site under the aegis of its governing charitable body, The Wordswort... More

Located in the upcountry dry zone region of Sri Lanka about 2 kilometers away from the Diyathalawa military training school, is a cozy abode designed by Architect Damith Premathilake. Perched amidst a forest of pine trees on a cliff, the house is an ideal hide out for relaxation and contemplation in the climate which has a temperature of about 20℃ (68℉ ) throughout the year.   The structure of this cottage is a result of a rethinking process which modified and converted the existing simple caretaker’s hut. The salient feature of the process is the adaptive re-use of timber palette boxes. Careful detailing and effective reuse of timber from used shipping palette boxes were used to construct prominent features, especially in the... More

A cramped, dark and damp Victorian workers’ cottage is transformed into a light-filled, flowing and uplifting home, while referencing original features of the house. The project is unique in that the architect was also its builder, so this provided the opportunity to test out ambitious ideas and their consequence during construction. One of the special aspects about this project is the play of contrasts between the modest facade and what lies inside. Like a veil of camouflage, the front gives nothing away of its contents and remains perfectly anonymous.   BriefA professional couple asked us to breathe new life into their recently purchased Victorian of 60m2. Due to budget constraints, all changes had to be made inside the exist... More

Severn Sound Cottage overlooks the horizon and waves of beautiful Georgian Bay. This project includes three phases: the main cottage, the reno cottage, as well as the landscaping in the middle adjoining the two buildings to create a seamless, cohesive whole. Its contemporary design features large roof overhangs, an open-concept interior layout and clean, simple detailing.   The main cottage features 13ft (4m) ceiling heights with Douglas Fir wood ceilings and soffits, punctuated by exposed timber joists creating a rhythm and guiding you towards the stone terrace in the middle. Most of the public spaces in the main cottage are fully glazed making the user feel as if they are outside while protected from the natural elements. The bedro... More

An Airbnb dream, this modern duplex is located in the hip Garfield neighborhood near downtown Phoenix. Designed by architect & developer William Erwin, AIA this unique property features two 1,100 SF (2) bed (2) bath units. Erwin A&D and the general contractor Beckett Construction partnered on the development delivering a product that is contemporary and cost conscious.  Situated in a historic district populated with bungalows, pyramid cottages, and a diverse mix of housing typologies, the architect collaborated with neighbors early in the design process. The goal was to create a building that sparked interest, respected scale, and positively contributed to the fabric of the neighborhood.   Material Used :1. Exposed mas... More

Nestled in the hills of Orange, Virginia, The Inn at Willow Grove – a historic plantation turned boutique resort and spa – attracts guests with its world-class hospitality. In 2017, Travel + Leisure magazine named The Inn at Willow Grove the Best Hotel in the South, the Third Best Hotel in the Country and the Ninth Best Hotel in the World. With accolades like these, owners David and Charlene Scibal decided to build two Creekside Cottages as an expansion, with five guest suites each.    Creating a luxurious experience for guests while upholding the historic charm was of the utmost priority for the Scibals when selecting an HVAC system. After consulting with HVAC Contractor Duct-Rite Mecha... More

This project is a contemporary response in a heritage context that learns from the vernacular. It puts forward an atypical site response that provides an experience of freedom and openness that is not often experienced in tight inner-city sites.   In a quiet heritage street in Fitzroy North, this new family home presents to the public as an abstract silhouette of a double fronted workers cottage. Behind, positioned in a garden is the main part of the house. This idea abandons the traditional rhythm of a dwelling with a back garden. Perimeter brick walls border the site to unify the overall enclosure. The close collaboration with Eckersley Garden Architecture allowed this core concept to be realised. ‘Living within a garden and... More