Green Cabin on Robert’s Island
Anxiously awaiting the completion of a project comes with the territory in Architecture. Watching what once lived in your mind come to life is an incredible feeling, and one I will always enjoy. With each project completion you experience the excitement of a client who can finally occupy their space, the culmination of a vision and enormous efforts by builder and trades, but also potentially the last time you’ll experience the project personally as a Designer.
With that in mind, Daymark’s “Green Cabin” on Robert’s Island, Georgian Bay is finally complete, originally designed in 2020, it’s taken close to 4 years from start to finish, and although it’s a small project it’s rich in detail.
Question and Answer
1. What were the project parameters provided by the client?
The client had a longstanding relationship on the existing site, with a deep respect and understanding of the land, weather conditions and sun path. Her focus was towards a seasonal structure that would compliment the existing cottage and provide additional space for entertainment, exercise and repose.
The site itself offered conditional parameters such as a mature tree line to remain, proximity to cottage / connectivity, in addition to wetland and setbacks from Georgian Bay that surrounded the structure on all sides.
2. Was there a vision or inspiration for the work?
Initially we had envisioned something born from the land that sprung from the existing Canadian Shield crop out, but the project later developed into a more monolithic green form, picking up tones from the existing cottage and surrounding treeline. A modern form that was built on it’s play and relationship with light. Capturing expansive changing views through windows that span both side and front elevations, the exterior pulls you outwards creating a seamless connection with nature. A strategic skylight captures and tracks the sun as it’s passes behind the structure washing light through the white interior and dances on the carefully crafted surfaces.
3. What are some of the challenges the project faced?
Any structure that lives on the Georgian Bay shore line needs to deeply consider the conditions it will face. Over time in working on various waterfront projects and learning first hand the seasonal conditions that these structures encounter, designing a structure that can withstand intense driving wind, rain, snow pile, flood etc. is baked into many of the design principals and construction methodologies presented by Daymark. In addition to bay exposure the seating location itself was inherently wet from changing water levels and saturation of the land, surrounded on all sides by shoreline the structure needed to be elevated and protected.
4. How did you land on the Material / Colour palette used?
Sage green standing seam metal was chosen to clad the roof and exterior facade, the colour selection was derived from the existing cottage scheme and treed back drop. While a bold colour choice at first glance the final product blends back into the natural surround respecting the site conditions. When viewed from the water a modern shape can be distinguished from the rocky outcrop which forms the island to disappear back into the green tree line. In the winter the structure will stand juxtaposed to a snow covered tundra.
5. What are some of the special features?
Form, function and relationship with light. A truly inspirational space, like a jewel box the exterior hides and protects a precious and exciting interior. It’s unexpected, the exterior and interior stand almost in contrast with one another, upon entry a sloped ceiling guides your eye to a skylight which fills the space with natural light highlighting a fun and playful colour scheme that instantly makes you smile.
See the full project write up here!
