Toronto studio Atelier Kastelic Buffey has designed this blackened wood holiday home and boathouse alongside a large deck for diving into an Ontario lake. 

Atelier Kastelic Buffey completed the 2,300-square-foot (2137-square-metre) structure on a small, forested island in Muskoka ? a region that is accessible within a two-hour drive from Toronto and is a popular vacation getaway.

Anchored to the shore by an expansive wooden deck, it comprises a lower volume featuring three mooring points for the client's boats and a second block on top that forms guest cabin and terrace overlooking the water, with the

A black lattice screen creates a buffer between the water and path leading up to the main residence on shore, matching the blackened cedar planks that wrap the exterior walls of each. A paler, grey-hued wood covers the floors of the surrounding decks, highlighting the distinction between the two.
Atelier Kastelic Buffey, which was founded led by Robert Kastelic and Kelly Buffey, likens the formation to the layout of the wooden decks featured on the lake.

"Inspired by the simple and prevalent image of wood docks found along the edges of the Muskoka lakes, the boathouse was conceived as a series of planar elements that slide past one another," said studio in a project description.

The cedar planks are charred black using the ancient Japanese technique of shou sugi ban, which helps make the wood resistant to rot and bugs.

On the ground level, three slips all...