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Shield and Shelter: An Embracing Lakeside Family Retreat that Opens Intimately and Sensitively to its Untamed Surroundings in the Heart of the Muskoka Region
Barbora Vokac Taylor Architect Inc. (BVT A)
View from the road: A single, low-slung black roof covers both cedar-clad volumes, peeled back at the top for the installation of a series of clerestory windows that welcome sunlight and gentle breezes into the heart of the home.
Photo credit:
Doublespace
Shield and Shelter: An Embracing Lakeside Family Retreat that Opens Intimately and Sensitively to its Untamed Surroundings in the Heart of the Muskoka Region
Barbora Vokac Taylor Architect Inc. (BVT A)
View from the driveway: Deep overhangs extend from the sloped black zinc roof that serve as shelter as one roams the exterior edges of the cottage. The clerestorey windows peel and bend from the roof form, cracking open to allow light to filter through, illuminating and revealing the exposed structure and the quality of the natural materials.
Photo credit:
Doublespace
Shield and Shelter: An Embracing Lakeside Family Retreat that Opens Intimately and Sensitively to its Untamed Surroundings in the Heart of the Muskoka Region
Barbora Vokac Taylor Architect Inc. (BVT A)
Between the garage and main living spaces, a screened Muskoka Room creates an open-air retreat. This architectural break offers visitors their first glimpse of the lake view, previously hidden by the building's placement—a subtle preview of the vistas beyond.
Photo credit:
Doublespace
Shield and Shelter: An Embracing Lakeside Family Retreat that Opens Intimately and Sensitively to its Untamed Surroundings in the Heart of the Muskoka Region
Barbora Vokac Taylor Architect Inc. (BVT A)
Nestled within a maple grove, sensitively situated on the rugged and steep terrain of the Canadian Shield, the form of the cottage takes its cue from these two elements by straddling the natural slope of the site and inflecting to embrace the grove and face the lake.
Photo credit:
Doublespace
Shield and Shelter: An Embracing Lakeside Family Retreat that Opens Intimately and Sensitively to its Untamed Surroundings in the Heart of the Muskoka Region
Barbora Vokac Taylor Architect Inc. (BVT A)
Lake-facing bedrooms open to private balconies, while the lower level leads to a terrace where a landscaped limestone stair leads down to the lakeshore.
Photo credit:
Doublespace
Shield and Shelter: An Embracing Lakeside Family Retreat that Opens Intimately and Sensitively to its Untamed Surroundings in the Heart of the Muskoka Region
Barbora Vokac Taylor Architect Inc. (BVT A)
View from the lake: By day, the angular structure provides deliberate contrast to its organic setting, allowing for visitors to read that landscape against the neutral silhouette while carefully positioned "viewfinders" frame specific natural moments: Some bathe the interior in sunlight, other frame specific trees, and some overlook sunrises, grounding the home in its rugged setting.
Photo credit:
Doublespace
Shield and Shelter: An Embracing Lakeside Family Retreat that Opens Intimately and Sensitively to its Untamed Surroundings in the Heart of the Muskoka Region
Barbora Vokac Taylor Architect Inc. (BVT A)
View from Muskoka Room: Artist Victoria Fard's intricate light pattern in cedar panels adds warmth to the double-height space.
Photo credit:
Doublespace
Shield and Shelter: An Embracing Lakeside Family Retreat that Opens Intimately and Sensitively to its Untamed Surroundings in the Heart of the Muskoka Region
Barbora Vokac Taylor Architect Inc. (BVT A)
View from Muskoka Room: Artist Victoria Fard's intricate light pattern in cedar panels adds warmth to the double-height space.
Photo credit:
Doublespace
Shield and Shelter: An Embracing Lakeside Family Retreat that Opens Intimately and Sensitively to its Untamed Surroundings in the Heart of the Muskoka Region
Barbora Vokac Taylor Architect Inc. (BVT A)
The living room features a double-sided fireplace, with a grand stone chimney adding aesthetic beauty as it rises through the levels of the structure to the exterior. From the exterior: the chimney marks the division between the house proper and the outdoor Muskoka Room.
Photo credit:
Doublespace
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