Sunset Cabin in Lake Simcoe, Ontario by Taylor Smyth
The sunset cabin based in Lake Simcoe, Ontario is build by Taylor Smyth Architects . It is a 275-square-foot wood-and-glass box that hovers lightly above the lake shore. The walls with views are composed entirely of glass, augmented with an exterior horizontal cedar screen that both braces the structure from twisting and filters bright summer light. At night, the effect is reversed—electric interior light illuminates the cabin like a lantern. Window cutouts in the cedar screen fulfill the couple’s single request: a bedside view of nightly sunsets.
By virtue of the limited space, the interior is minimalist—all of the surfaces are constructed of birch veneer plywood including the built-in cabinets. The east facade opens to a cedar-screened outdoor shower and chemical compost toilet; the west side opens to a small deck, which, at grade and unimpeded by handrails, spills out to the horizon in an infinity-pool-like effect.
“Another benefit of being close to the lake,” explains Taylor, “is that you can now see the property—the wilderness—in a whole new way. New sounds, new views, foxes on the lake in wintertime—the kinds of things that they never knew existed before.”
May 14, 2008 - Category: Architecture, Green - Posted by: Chantal - Comments: 0