The duo architects in MOS, Michael Meredith and Hilary Sample has a challenging task yet successfully accomplished in Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada. Their project intersects a vernacular house typology with the site-specific conditions of this unique place, which is an island on Lake Huron.
The challenge comes from the site (Great Lakes) which needs more attention to give. The lake’s water level tends to change overtime in relation with the change of season, compounded with escalating global environment trends. The condition summed up an idea for the designer to build the house atop a structure of steel pontoons. Changing water levels can never be a problem since the house can fluctuate along with the lake.
Another set of constraints came from the site which was extremely expensive to use traditional construction process. The majority of costs in order to transport the materials. Thus, using a prefabrication and construction process is the final result.
The formal envelope of the house experiments with the cedar siding of the vernacular home. This familiar form not only encloses the interior living space, but also enclosed exterior space as well as open voids for direct engagement with the lake. A “rainscreen” envelope of cedar strips condense to shelter interior space and expand to either filter light entering interior spaces or screen and enclose exterior spaces giving a modulated yet singular character to the house, while performing pragmatically in reducing win d load and heat gain.
Photograph by Florian Holzherr. Via
very cool. im sure the gentle rocking makes it even easier to fall asleep