Built in Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, Canada, the Window on the Lake by YH2 is the quintessential cottage.
This warm and unfussy wood dwelling relies upon the natural beauty of its surrounding outside environment to create a placid and cozy home. The house breathes a fresh new air into the old as it was built on the site of an old family cottage on the shores of Lac Plaisant in the Mauricie region. The architects relied upon the restrained and simple refinement of the structure to create a warm wooden cottage environment for vacations and communes with nature.
To bring the beauty of the outside world in, the dwelling’s exterior’s roof and walls are clad in white cedar boards. The home’s long sides feature three floor-to-ceiling glass panels that allow for a seamless transition between the inner dwelling and outer landscape. The breezy approach also takes form on the south side with an all-glass wall overlooking the lake, arranged under a huge, double-height gable that extends out to the porch. The transparent façade floods light into the house in the fall and winter while trees situated between the cottage and lake offer shade and privacy in the summer.