Cover The lake-facing elevation of the Muskoka cottage at dusk, seen through the autumn maple grove, with the clerestory windows and lower-level glazing lit from within
The lake-facing elevation of the Muskoka cottage at dusk, seen through the autumn maple grove, with the clerestory windows and lower-level glazing lit from within
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Barbora Vokac Taylor Architect, designed a Muskoka cottage that follows the rugged contours of the Canadian Shield, for one extended family, across many generations to come
The Canadian Shield does not yield easily. Its ancient granite outcroppings resist excavation, and the terrain around Muskoka’s lake country tends to plunge steeply from road to water, offering little in the way of flat, forgiving ground. When Barbora Vokac Taylor, the founding architect of the Toronto-based practice Barbora Vokac Taylor Architect, was commissioned to design a family cottage on one such site, she responded directly to it.
Above An aerial view of the cottage at dusk, its single black zinc roof plane oriented parallel to the shoreline
An aerial view of the cottage at dusk, its single black zinc roof plane oriented parallel to the shoreline
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The result is a four-bedroom cottage spread across three levels, with an additional loft, set within a maple grove on a slope that drops some 35 feet from one side of the building to the other. Its exterior walls are clad in Shou Sugi Ban cedar. Its roof, a single low-slung plane of black zinc, covers two adjoining volumes: one housing the main residence, the other a garage and upper-level gym. The two structures are connected by an open Muskoka Room, a traditional screened porch updated here with motorised panels that can fully enclose the space during the warmer, more insect-prone months.
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Above The lake-facing elevation shows the full run of lower-level glazing and the limestone stair descending through the landscape towards the water
Above The cottage’s Shou Sugi Ban cedar cladding and black zinc roof are seen from the uphill side of the site
The lake-facing elevation shows the full run of lower-level glazing and the limestone stair descending through the landscape towards the water
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Above The driveway approach at dusk, with both cedar-clad volumes — the main residence to the left and the garage to the right — visible under their shared black zinc roof
Above The entry elevation at dusk, showing the clerestory windows where the zinc roof peels back, and the stone chimney above
The driveway approach at dusk, with both cedar-clad volumes — the main residence to the left and the garage to the right — visible under their shared black zinc roof
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From the outset, the firm’s primary commitment was to avoid disturbing the site. “It required a very thoughtful approach,” says Vokac Taylor. Rather than blasting or regrading the terrain, the practice worked with existing grade variations, settling the building into the slope so that it reads, in the architect’s words, as “a steady datum by which you can really read the topography of the site.”
The lake-facing elevation at dusk, showing the junction between the two cedar-clad volumes and Victoria Fard’s lit cedar wall pattern visible through the glazing of the Muskoka Room
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The approach sequence was designed with equal care. Arriving by car, visitors first encounter an entry landing from which a framed view of the lake is visible through the break between the two volumes. When the cottage was first sited, the new structure would have blocked the lake view from the driveway entirely. The angled junction between the two buildings, which houses the Muskoka Room, opened a corridor that offered a glimpse of water. “A glimpse of a larger reward to come,” as Vokac Taylor describes it.
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Above The base of the cottage is where the Shou Sugi Ban cedar cladding meets the poured-concrete structural walls
Above The lake-side elevation, showing stacked balconies serving the upper-level bedrooms, and the concrete structural base at grade
The base of the cottage is where the Shou Sugi Ban cedar cladding meets the poured-concrete structural walls
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From the entry landing, a short bridge leads to the main entrance and mudroom. The upper level, which sits at grade on the uphill side, contains the children’s bedrooms, a study, a laundry room, and a guest room. The lower level, accessed by an interior stair with a deliberately shallow rise-to-run ratio of 1:2, proportioned to match an outdoor stair, opens into the main social spaces: a kitchen, living room, and dining room, all oriented towards the lake with floor-to-ceiling windows. The primary bedroom is also on this level, configured as a self-contained ensuite for when the owners are in residence on their own.
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Above The Muskoka Room in daylight, with Victoria Fard’s cedar feature wall in relief and the reclad bunkie visible through the floor-to-ceiling glazing beyond
The Muskoka Room in daylight, with Victoria Fard’s cedar feature wall in relief and the reclad bunkie visible through the floor-to-ceiling glazing beyond
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“The upper level houses a series of retreat spaces, while the lower level was thoughtfully designed for social interactions,” says Vokac Taylor. The stair between them is functional, calibrated. “The shallower slope has the effect of decelerating one’s pace,” she notes. “A persuasive call to slow down and ease into cottage life.”
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The open-plan lower level, with the main stair — its risers set against hand-painted cement tile — connects the social spaces to the upper-level bedrooms
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Above The double-height living space on the lower ground level, with exposed Douglas Fir joists following the pitch of the roof overhead
Above The stone chimney rises through the double-height living space to the roofline
The double-height living space on the lower ground level, with exposed Douglas Fir joists following the pitch of the roof overhead
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A concealed loft hovers above the upper level, accessible only by ladder and designed as a space for children to retreat to independently, within earshot of the rooms below. At the opposite extreme, the basement opens out to a recreation area with a home theatre, sauna, and wet bar. Beyond that, an outdoor hot tub is set beneath an eight-foot-high cedar ceiling and surrounded by poured-concrete walls that provide privacy while framing views of the forest and lake.
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The kitchen on the lower ground level, with hand-painted cement tile splashback, open timber shelving, and a large island
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The material palette is consistent throughout: cedar, douglas fir, whitewashed knotty pine, poured concrete, hand-painted cement tile, and heated concrete floors. These are materials selected as much for how they will age as for how they look now. “With time, the materials will naturally and gracefully age and develop a natural patina to add to its story,” says Vokac Taylor. “I think that anticipation for the future form is an exciting thread that the family will follow as time passes and the family grows.”
The upper-level gym is located within the angled volume that also houses the garage
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The cottage was designed to accommodate an extended family across multiple generations, with the clients envisioning it as a long-term family campus. The loft functions as a children’s treehouse. The Muskoka Room opens fully to the outdoors. A limestone stair descends from the lower terrace to the lakeshore. Custom windows, which the architect refers to as viewfinders, are positioned throughout the cottage to frame specific trees, overlook particular sunrises, or draw light into the interior at certain times of day.
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The primary bedroom on the lower ground level has heated poured concrete floors and a mustard-upholstered bed frame
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Arriving by boat at night, visitors see the structure from the water as a lit volume, its clerestory windows glowing beneath the lifted roof edge, a cedar feature wall inside the Muskoka Room patterned with small lights arranged by the artist Victoria Fard to suggest rising embers. “Although the cottage includes several modern comforts and conveniences,” says Vokac Taylor, “it also embodies the essence of simple living and connections with nature.”
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Jennifer Choo is Regional Managing Editor of Tatler Homes, covering architecture, interior design, and art across Asia. Based in Malaysia, she oversees regional content on luxury residential design and contemporary art collections. Legally trained but choosing to pursue her passion for design, she previously led notable design publications and worked as an interior stylist and art consultant for property developers, design firms, and private clients.
