Kiss House, Ontario Building, Architect, Canadian Lake Home Design, Architecture Images

Kiss House in Ontario

Modern Real Estate on a Canadian lake – design by Lazor Office

2 Jan 2018

Kiss House

Location: Ontario, Canada

Architects: Lazor Office

Kiss House

Photos by Peter VonDeLinde

Perched above the bedrock at the shore of a remote Canadian lake, the cedar-clad Kiss House takes formal cues from driftwood. The three-bedroom house, dock house, garage, and walled vegetable garden are linked by a series of wood walkways and decks. At the “kiss line” between two prefabricated modules, the lineal form of the house snaps like a branch held together only by bark. The open break forms a V-shaped outdoor room facing the water.

The walls frame a courtyard like a clearing in the forested area along the shore. While the garage and garden doors blend into the wood, the main entry interrupts it with an irregularly shaped sheet of glass, as though the surface has begun to tear at the kiss line. Floor-to-ceiling, full-length glass on the lakeside façades of both modules allows each to present a distinct, expansive view of the lake and its islands. Being inside the house feels like floating over the water.

The organization and details of the interior living space reinforce the sense of openness established by the glass. The kitchen counter is shifted slightly back from the glass, a thin slab of back-cut soapstone forms a dining island, and the fireplace is transparent on three sides. Polished teak surfaces continue from the walls and ceiling of the master bathroom to the counter, sink, and tub. Private living spaces occupy the far ends of the modules, where the end walls angle toward the tree canopy.

What were the solutions?
The house was prefabricated in two pieces, shipped to the site, and set in place via crane. The house sits on piers driven into the bedrock so that the overall form is elevated above the landscape. A layer of topsoil was removed to expose the bedrock, further emphasizing the contrast between built and landscape.

What were the key challenges?
The site is on a remote island in Canada, making shipping construction materials to the site challenging.

Kiss House Ontario – Building Information

Design: Lazor Office
Location: Ontario, Canada
Building levels: 1

Key products used:
Bathed-In-Wood, Custom Teak Baths
Stratford Homes, Modular Manufacturer
WD Flooring, Custom Wood Flooring

Photography: Peter VonDeLinde

Kiss House in Ontario images / information received 020118

Location:Ontario, Canada ‘

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