Kahshe Lake Cottage, Ontario Buildings Project, Canadian Architecture Development, Images
Kahshe Lake Cottage in the Muskoka Region
1 Apr 2020
Kahshe Lake Cottage
Architects: Solares Architecture
Location: The Muskoka Region, Ontario, Canada

The story of Kahshe Lake Cottage started in 1987, when architect Tom Knezic?s parents bought the water-access property and built a small bunkie as a temporary shelter. Their goal was to then design and build their dream family cottage. When the 1989 recession hit, their plans went on hold. In 2015, Tom?s father passed away, and his mother decided that it was time to finish what they had started. Designed “in the family” by Solares Architecture ? the firm run by Tom and his wife Christine Lolley ? the project is now complete.
The bunkie still sits on the original property, surrounded by outdoor projects created over the years, including the firepit, slack lines, bike trails, even a hammock zone. The new cottage is sited on the neighbouring property to the north, acquired more recently for this project. The site is full of forest and Canadian Shield rock, including a large rock outcrop along the lake that rises up to the height of the second floor.

The new cottage is built on steel ground screws to reduce the impact on the forest floor and tree roots, so only trees inside the building footprint needed to be removed. Trees just outside the edge of it could remain and gently exist beside the house.

The building is oriented ...