The Bear Stand

2018 Builder's Choice & Custom Home Design Awards
Project of the Year

When a pair of shanghai-based clients requested a house as beautiful as it is livable in the Canadian province of Ontario—where temperatures fluctuate from below zero to scorching hot—U.S. firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson spared no efforts to fulfill their request; the architects spent their initial site visit in late summer 2011 tent-camping on the property over several days.

“Gathered around a warm campfire, we shared meals, paddled the lake, hiked the land, and navigated the intense swarms of mosquitoes populating the nearby wetlands,” says the firm’s principal-in-charge Robert Miller. “The time spent during this visit was invaluable in helping us understand the family’s needs, as well as their vision for guest accommodations and entertainment.”

On the remote, wooded site approximately three hours northeast of Toronto, the Bear Stand—the family’s 3,245-square-foot lakeside retreat from their transcontinental lifestyle—recalls former childhood reveries of adventure and exploration in the forest. Originally, the project’s objective centered around fulfilling the family’s desire for allowing their young daughter a base to connect with her Canadian relatives, but eventually expanded to include welcoming visitors from all parts of the world when the clients decided to rent the house to vacationing families. As such, the design team and its Apsley, Ontario–based builders, Brickman Construction, were tasked with the challenge of arranging the spaces to accommodate the needs of the family, as well as those of visiting guests.

Nestled between Contau Lake and a granite rock-face rising to the south, the 99-acre site was once owned by previous generations of the client’s family. Vehicular access to the property is restricted to create a remote experience, enhanced by a series of canoe docks, boardwalks, and a private walking trail that encourage exploration by land and water. The architects placed the two-story residence’s primary living and dining spaces on the ground level, so gatherings can spill to the outdoors. The home’s private rooms, including its sleeping and bathing spaces, are sited on the upper level to afford views of the lake and forest.

To accommodate visiting parties, three guest suites, a bunk room with four beds, and a den with a pull-out bed fill out the level. A glazed stair volume adjacent to the hillside is anchored by a monolithic fireplace clad in locally sourced granite that connects the two levels. The home’s interiors, finished in rich yet subtle materials such as fir windows, brushed walnut flooring, and benches and bar tops reclaimed from a local barn lend softness to the building, while a “raft” composed of Douglas fir glulam beams cantilevers out over the black fiber cement–paneled and stained-cedar façade to blend with the forested environment.

Outside, a sauna, soaking tub, and screened porch allow inhabitants enjoyment of the surroundings within a short stretch from the interiors. “This is a mature work,” said the jury. “Solid, refined, and resolved.”—L.D.

“The materiality is lovely. the spaces are grand, but not overwhelming—clean and proportioned.” — Juror Meg Graham

2017 Residential Architect Design Awards

Custom House More Than 3,000 Square Feet | Award

The Bear Stand is a 3,245-square-foot single-family residence located about 130 miles northeast of Toronto in Gooderham, Ontario. The design team at Bohlin Cywinski Jackson in association with Bohlin Grauman Miller was tasked with creating a family retreat for a couple that spends their professional life in Shanghai that could double as a vacation rental when they are away in China.

The extensively glazed two-story house is laid out east to west, parallel to the south shoreline of Contau Lake. Primary living spaces are on the first floor, with a double-height living room anchored by a locally sourced granite fireplace that’s shared with a screened porch. Circulation is located along the south side of the building, with a stair leading to the upper level that follows the topography. A family room overlooks the living room, with most of the second floor dedicated to sleeping areas. The master suite encompases a private wing to the south, with a bath outfitted with soaking tubs that opens out to the to 100-acre woodland site.

The cabin aesthetic features a variety of wood: Exposed Douglas fir glulam beams and decking complement stained cedar siding, and wire brushed walnut floors. Black fiber-cement board panels and board-formed concrete walls supplement the varied woods, adding tactile variety within a constrained palette of carefully detailed finishes. “This is a really beautiful project, and the contrast of materials is really compelling,” Katherine Chia said.

Year-round accessibility was important and, due to the remote location and extreme winters, it was necessary to provide a backup generator and fuel storage of sufficient size for extended periods of use. But those necessities are hidden from view. “It’s really elegantly done, and makes it look effortless,” David Baker said. “I just want to hang out there.” —E.K.

Visit ARCHITECT to see the rest of the winners of the 2017 Residential Architect Design Awards.