Going to the cabin is a popular Canadian pleasure, whether it’s during the summer to escape the city heat or the winter to enjoy the snowy landscape.

Lake Simcoe (located in southern Ontario), is an ideal cottage respite. With an abundance of recreational activities, ranging from sailing regattas to ice fishing, this leisure destination is extremely popular.

Which made it an ideal site for ‘The Sunset Cabin’, a modern take on a traditional lakeside cabin that is perfect for all of Canada’s seasons.

Designed by Taylor Smyth Architects, the Sunset Cabin was perched on an escarpment to take advantage of the spectacular vista of Lake Simcoe.

Nestled amongst a copse of deciduous and evergreen trees – many which the leaves change colour during the autumn months before dropping – allowing the cabin to hide behind the thick foliage.

A green roof also helps to cabin blend into the surrounding natural environment.

Whereas the Sunset Cabin blends into the landscape during the warmer seasons, in the winter it truly distinguishes itself from the stark snow-covered setting.

The horizontal cedar slats on the exterior contrast to the verticality of the treescape. The slats also filter natural sunlight into the cabin in an ever-changing manner through the day, and season.

An abundance of natural materials, including cedar,  integrates the cabin with its site, creating harmony with nature.

Sunset Cabin is an atypical representation of Canadian cottages and cabins, as the traditional vernacular is one of steep pitched roofs.

However, the manner and materials of the Sunset Cabin is very Canadian. We love this push and pull in design, and applaud Taylor Smyth for their inventiveness!

Here’s the fantastic Taylor Smyth Architects website.

And here’s a past post we featured on Taylor Smyth Architects.

Photographs courtesy of Ben Rahn / A-Frame.

Researched and Written by Nour Chatti, Undergraduate Student of Human Geography and Urban Studies at the University of Toronto