Muskoka Cottage

Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil

Muskoka Cottage

Akb Architects

ARCHITECTS
Akb Architects

INTERIOR DESIGN
Akb Architects

LANDSCAPE DESGIN
Virginia Burt Designs

MANUFACTURERS
Duravit, Karcher Design, Chameleon, Halliday Baillie, Moncer, Reynaers, Watermark Designs, Wizard Screens

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Moses Structural Engineers

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Ambient Air Hvac Designs

DESIGN ARCHITECT
Kelly Buffey

TECHNICAL ARCHITECT
Robert Kastelic

PROJECT ARCHITECT
Aaron Finbow

PROJECT TEAM
Amanda Carson, Shay Gibson

FURNITURE DESIGN
Ashley Botten Design

GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Hld Muskoka

PHOTOGRAPHS
Shai Gil

AREA
697 M²

YEAR
2021

LOCATION
Canada

CATRGORY
Houses, Residential

Akb Architects has created a multi-generational family cottage clad in rough-sawn cedar boards and cedar shakes to merge with the northern Ontario terrain of windswept trees and Pre-Cambrian bedrock. 

Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil
Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil

The 7,500-square-foot residence comprises three interconnected volumes that form an interior of cozy spaces and open rooms with spectacular views of a freshwater lake. 

The simple, volumetric shapes are distinctly contemporary and embedded with vernacular features that give the house its cabin-in-the-woods appeal, including gabled rooflines with pronounced chimney stacks and an abundance of naturally aged wood.

Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil
Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil

The client requested a year-round retreat that would serve as an inviting destination to entertain guests while also being comfortable for their family of five. 

To accommodate, Akb nested each volume above and within the existing topography with minimal environmental disruption.

Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil
Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil

Multiple bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms are set apart from the communal spaces, located at the heart of the house and where everything else gravitates.

A single roof plane resides over a large open-concept living and dining area framed by a vaulted ceiling encased in hand-brushed European oak boards.

Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil
Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil

The cladding extends beyond a sliding glass partition into an outdoor porch with additional dining, lounge, and bar. To delineate the kitchen and outdoor areas as separate and more intimate spaces, Akb used a flat ceiling to define rooms within rooms in a free-flowing floorplate.

The interior finishes focus on the elemental, with bespoke concrete vanities and kitchen cabinetry made to blend into the wall boards and run flush with the island's granite countertop.

Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil
Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil

Soft furnishings and area rugs in neutral tones add warmth to the architecture's gentle interplay between rustic charm and finely tuned minimalism.

With fixed and retractable glass panels along the lakeside, the communal spaces dissolve into the natural surroundings. Retractable insect screens enable bi-folding walls to remain open day and night, allowing for passive airflow.

Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil
Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil

Another intermediary space is created by a broad overhang covering a wraparound deck. During the summer, the additional shade moderates the interior, significantly reducing the need for mechanical cooling.

Light reaches deep into the building as the sun lowers, warming the concrete floors to temper the evening chill.

Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil
Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil

Siting the main volume on a naturally sloped elevation allowed for a lower level with a walk-out.

A cedar sauna, fitness room, and recreation room are steps away from pathways leading to the boathouse and shoreline.

Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil
Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil

What distinguishes this cottage from others is the elasticity of the boundary between inside and out - the flexibility of the perimeter walls, the interstitial spaces they create, and the cottage's earthen materiality.

Craftsmanship expressed through precise joinery and material transitions, along with the restraint of rudimentary forms layered with textural qualities, create an ambiance felt as much as seen.

Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil
Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil

Unpainted Venetian plaster walls in the bedroom have a comfortably aged softness and a hot-rolled steel custom rack for storing firewood outdoors.

It is destined to patina over time, reflecting the organic nature of a home designed to age with grace.

Muskoka Cottage
© Shai Gil


Muskoka Cottage
Ground Floor Plan
Muskoka Cottage
Lower Floor Plan


Muskoka Cottage
Longitudinal Section
Muskoka Cottage
Cross Section
Muskoka Cottage
Site Plan