The cottage property of Joanne Hall and husband Russel, a 45-minute drive from central Ottawa, was designed by Linebox Studio.Kevin Belanger
For 10 years, Joanne Hall and her husband, Russel, had their dream cottage. Mostly.
Their place was large – about 2,500 square feet – on a scenic lake just a 45-minute drive from their home in central Ottawa. “Our dock was on a deep part of the lake with an interesting, rocky shoreline,” says Joanne.
There was, however, one major drawback. “The cottage only had one bedroom,” she explains. “There was a big open room where we could fit a lot of people, but there was no privacy.”
That issue became more pressing in the summer of 2020. Russel was retired, and Joanne was on the verge of stepping back from her career in mental health.
“I’m from Northwestern Ontario and my husband is from England,” says Joanne. “Growing up, our kids never had the experience of easy, accessible time with their grandparents – they lived far away. We wanted to retire close to Ottawa so our kids and grandkids could visit whenever they wanted, even if it was just to come swimming for the day.”
Finding a site for a new cottage was easy. The couple already owned the lot next door to their existing place, which they have since sold. (“We were careful to sell to people who would make good neighbours,” says Joanne.)
The cottage is built on stilts over a cliff.Kevin Belanger
Choosing an architect was also straightforward. The couple had previously worked with Ottawa architect Andrew Reeves and his studio, Linebox, to update their city home. “Working with Linebox was a wonderful experience,” says Joanne. “Our Ottawa house is traditional on the outside, modern inside. For the cottage, we wanted something different, something modern both inside and out.”
The rest of the decision-making process was a bit trickier.
For Mr. Reeves, one of the immediate challenges was the site. It’s as steep as a toboggan run, dropping sharply from the road to the water, without a flat area suitable for building.
“We wanted to leave as much of the vegetation around the cottage intact,” he says. “We were also mindful of the water that could rush down the hill during the spring melt. We didn’t want a flooded basement.”
The solution was to build the house on steel stilts that rise like slender tree trunks.
“They leave the ground untouched,” says Mr. Reeves. “And they elevate the cottage just above the tree canopy, providing beautiful views of the lake without having to cut down half the forest.”
Raising a house on stilts comes with challenges of its own. One was finding a contractor. “A lot of tradespeople came to the site and said, ‘Oh my, how are we even going to do this?’” recalls Joanne.
They ended up working with Eric Tallon of Rmodl, an Ottawa-based contractor who had experience building homes on stilts. “His experience gave us a lot of confidence,” says Joanne.
Clad mainly in dark corrugated steel, the home has a slim, modern profile that appears to hover in the woods.Kevin Belanger
Another challenge was insulation. Typically, the earth provides some thermal regulation to the underside of a house. Elevating the home on stilts leaves it exposed to heat loss or gain depending on the season.
“It’s a challenge in a place like Canada,” explains Mr. Reeves. “Outside temperatures can swing from minus 20 to plus 20 in a matter of weeks.”
The solution was to insulate the floor to the same standard as the walls and roof. “We basically treated the whole thing like a giant beer cooler,” says Mr. Reeves. “The sides, bottom, and top are all the same – highly insulated.”
Aesthetically, the 2,100-square-foot, three-bedroom cottage bears no resemblance to a cooler full of brewskis. Clad mainly in dark corrugated steel, it has a slim, modern profile that appears to hover in the woods like a minimalist frisbee caught in a breeze.
The cottage connects to the top of the hill via a bridge with glass railings, leading to a small vestibule and a staircase that steps down to the main living area.
Most of the inside spaces — including the kitchen, dining, and living rooms — are on a single level. These open onto a patio wrapped in warm wood.Kevin Belanger
“The entry is one of my favourite parts of the design,” says Joanne. “From the top of the stairs, you have beautiful views out over the trees through a series of horizontal windows. There are also views down into the cottage, inviting people to come in and explore further.”
Mr. Reeves designed the home for low maintenance and long-term flexibility.
“The siding can withstand whatever the climate throws at it – rain, hail, spring runoff – most of which simply passes underneath the house,” he says. “The roof was reinforced not just for snow loads, but in case the homeowners ever want to turn it into a vegetable garden – a place they can climb up to and enjoy.”
Aside from the entry vestibule and a small area beneath the house that provides a path down to the lake, most of the spaces – including the kitchen, dining and living rooms – are on a single level. These open onto a patio wrapped in warm wood.
“The terrace was designed to maximize time outdoors,” says Mr. Reeves. “It’s covered to keep out the rain and has a deep overhang to block the sun’s heat.”
“I love it out there,” says Joanne, who’s thrilled that the cottage has become a gathering place for the family.
“The kids and grandkids come all the time. Recently, my son-in-law overheard his five-year-old telling someone that his house had bunk beds and a really big pool. It took a moment to realize he was talking about the cottage. The pool was the lake. It’s so nice that he thinks of this place as though it’s his home, too.”