Country House in Rob Roy Fireplace

Project Details

Project Description

This project was selected as the ARCHITECT’s Choice in the 2024 Residential Architect Design Awards, Spotligh Focus Fireplace category.

"It’s an extremely sensitive and thoughtful deployment of fireplaces for warmth and visual comfort.” — Juror Matthew Bremer

Jay Appleton’s theory of “refuge” and “prospect” explains that a well-designed space should provide both a sense of shelter and a connection to the outside world. This home’s fireplaces embody that balance, creating inviting spaces for comfort and social connection while maintaining a strong relationship with the surrounding landscape.

There are four fireplaces throughout the Grey Highlands, Ontario home, each thoughtfully placed to enhance everyday living. Two masonry elements define the central living space, anchoring it between their solid forms. The western masonry mass contains a fireplace that warms the main living and dining areas, while the eastern mass houses two wood stoves serving the kitchen and study. These elements not only frame the home’s shared spaces but also store and radiate heat long after the fires have burned out for lasting warmth.

Each fireplace is positioned for both function and experience, offering radiant heat where people naturally gather. In the living room, a Stûv 21 unit sits flush with the floor, extending its hearth beneath a seating area by a corner window. This placement allows for both the cozy ambiance of a fire and an open visual connection to the landscape. The east-side thermal mass features a Stûv 16 with a raised hearth for casual seating, while a Jotul 602 stove provides warmth to the study. A second Jotul 602 in the master bedroom enhances comfort and relaxation.

By integrating fire into key living spaces, the home fosters a warm, intimate atmosphere while offering views to the surrounding environment.

PROJECT CREDITS:
Project: House in Rob Roy
Location: Grey Highlands, Ontario
Client/Owner: Withheld
Architect: Ian MacDonald Architect Inc.
Ian MacDonald, design director
Karen Hsieh, project architect
Support team: Ben Angus, Sasha Milojevic, Matthew MacKay-Lyons, Patrick Liu
Construction Start Date: spring 2019
Construction End Date: fall 2021
Interior Designer: Ian MacDonald Architect Inc.
Mechanical Engineer: Synergy HVAC Designs
Structural Engineer: Blackwell Structural Engineering
General Contractor: L. Patten & Sons
Building Enclosure: Ian MacDonald Architect Inc., (ima), with energy modelling and consulting from Passive Design Solutions
Hardware: Colombo
Specifications: Ian MacDonald Architect Inc.
Geotechnical Engineer: Terraprobe, Bampton

Size in Square Feet: 2600
Cost: Withheld

MATERIALS AND SOURCES:
Appliances: Miele
Bathroom Fixtures: Cross water London
Cabinets: Custom Cabinetry fabricated by Kobi’s Cabinets Ltd.
Ceilings: rough-sawn fir glue-lam joists & radiata pine plywood sheathing, taped GWB
Concrete: GBL Concrete
Countertops: Stainless Steel
Exterior Wall Systems: stained red cedar shingles, with Sansin Stain
Fabrics and Finishes: Custom Upholstery with Knoll Ultrasuede fabric
Flooring: White Oak engineered hardwood, slate tile
Furniture: Client
Insulation: DuPont Insulation
Lighting Control Systems: Lutron Sunnata
Metal: Mill scale finish steel panels around fireplace
Paints and Finishes: Benjamin Moore paints (interior), Sansin Stain (exterior
Photovoltaics or other Renewables:
Green Roof: Zinco Roofing
Site and Landscape Products:
Walls: Taped GWB, Polished plaster finishes on fireplaces
Windows and Doors: Dopfner Windows & Doors, distributed by Sterling Windows and Doors

Photo Credits: Mike Awad and Tom Arban