Ian MacDonald Architect has designed this compact family cabin with a green roof that melds into its beautiful natural landscape of Go Home Bay, an enclave of Ontario, Canada’s Georgian Bay archipelago. Created for four-season enjoyment, this cozy cabin maximizes its natural environment that features rocky outcroppings populated by white pines that are shaped by the westerly winds.
The cabin is accessible only by water, surrounded by mature growth trees that allow privacy from the water for this low-slung structure. It is only as guests climb up from the dock and meander through a juniper meadow that is surrounded by tall white pines, they can view the structure clearly as a charcoal-hued cedar shingle box.
DESIGN DETAILS: ARCHITECT Ian MacDonald Architect STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING Blackwell Partnership BUILDER Darlington Construction MILLWORK Kobi’s Cabinets
The carefully sequenced interior spaces underscore a rich connection to the landscape. Entering into a simple vestibule from the south deck, visitors’ views are largely withheld to delay and therefore intensify their effect. Guests pass into the long kitchen, which doubles as a corridor along the back of the cabin, connecting the main areas and ending in a cozy window seat complete with a wood stove and views to the dense forest behind.
This space serves as a counterpoint to the big water views in the adjacent main room where some 42 linear feet of windows look west toward the open Go Home Bay channel. Here, the ground plane drops out of view, and the short middle ground is lost. This obscuring engages the visitor’s imagination, resulting in a more idealized perception of the scale and drama of the landscape, which ultimately defines one’s memory of the place.
The cabin sits lightly on the site, which is evident by its construction: a form cantilevered off concrete piers so that it floats over a whaleback outcropping of granite.
What We Love: This compact and cozy cabin on Georgian Bay offers its occupants a wonderful opportunity to connect with nature. We are loving the green roof concept and how it helps to blend the home with its surrounding environment. The architects did a fantastic job of creating a floor plan that offers everything one could need to feel right at home in the woods. We are loving the remote location, such a relaxing place to escape and spend time in nature.
Tell Us: Would this be your idea of the perfect vacation cabin surrounded by water and nature? Let us know in the Comments below, we love reading your feedback!
Note: Be sure to check out a couple of other spectacular Canadian lake houses that we have featured here on One Kindesign: Dreamy waterfront cottage has rustic yet refined details on Lake Simcoe, Ontario and Inside a striking summer home retreat nestled on Lake Heron, Ontario.
Photography is courtesy of Ian MacDonald Architect
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