The house located in Nova Scotia, Canada, is characterized by archetypal form and minimalist design
Overlooking the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia in Canada, the East Dover House dominates the landscape from the top of the hill where it is perched on. The house, supported by galvanized steel stilts, appears to float above the bedrock, allowing the growth of lichens and red conifers underneath and around the building, and restoring the image of a small settlement immersed in the craggy geomorphology. The project is designed by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects.
The house consists of two rectangular pavilions, with a gable shaped elevation, connected by a central body in which the entrance o the house is located. Cladded in a monolithic weathering steel envelope that wraps around the wooden supporting structure, the building integrates perfectly with the surrounding nature in its continuous evolution. In one volume of houses is located the living area, with dining room and kitchen that follow one another in a spatial continuity, while the other volume is reserved for the sleeping area.
The minimalistic design, evident from the outside through the simple geometric shapes and linear glass openings, is carried through the interior. The large glass walls that open at the corners of the two volumes break the continuity of the outer shell and frame the view towards the bay and the sea. Two other windows cut vertically through the walls and follow the lines of the roof, providing light in all the rooms and opening up views to the sky. In the northern wall, covered with wooden panelling, there is a fireplace, shelves, and cabinets, which frame the main space of the living area and provide a sense of refuge.
Further fusing the house’s interplay with its environment, power is supplied by a field of solar panels which contributes excess energy to the electrical grid.
The project, conceived 16 years before its realization in 2021, was commissioned by a couple who, after a period in Singapore, were planning to retire in Canada once their sons were both in university. She, Canadian, wanted a place where the whole family could gather and strengthen roots. He, landscape architect and "outdoor person", wanted a modernist house that would facilitate a deep connection to the surrounding landscape. According to his words, “the house feels very contemporary while having a vernacular identity that is characteristic of the culture and the community. It’s very traditional in the manner that it was built with a timber structure by a local crew. It has a wonderful serenity — almost as though you are outdoors in an open space with a campfire to add comfort. I love watching the waves rolling in and the birds circling.”
Although the couple had already purchased the land, they had to wait for years before seeing their house come to life, maintaining their vision over time. In the meantime, the architects had the opportunity to further develop their study for the development of a "good generic”, which is an architecture that, although using simple and cost-effective materials and construction systems, generates a personalized result that is suitable for the location.
The gang nail scissor trusses are standard and prefabricated elements that run along the longitudinal axis of the pavilions and transferring loads directly on the envelopes, allowing for an inexpensive double-height interior with no columns or interior structural systems to obscure the panoramic view. The materials chosen for the interiors are simple, but welcoming: concrete floors and natural birch plywood cabinetry that present characteristics of durability, clarity, and affordability.
>>> Read the preview of the article about Smith House, another residence designed by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects in Nova Scotia
Location: East Dover, Nova Scotia, Canada
Completion: 2021
Client: Private
Building Area: 186 m2
Site Area: 2,2 ha
Architect: MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects
Design Lead: Brian MacKay-Lyons
Project Architect: Alastair Bird
Project Team: Shane Andrews, Diana Carl
Consultants
Structures: David Bowick, Blackwell Engineering
Construction Management: Gordon MacLean
Photgraphy by James Brittain, Courtesy of MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects