Lighthouse is a fitting name for this beautiful Ottawa wood clad house, designed by Linebox Studio. Visually compelling, this dwelling was designed for a family of five who relocated from the countryside to the city.
This three storey home is located in an infill lot in the Lindenlea neighbourhood. It’s situated with a Community Centre parking lot on one side, and a forested 40-foot escarpment on the other.
In response to its unusual site, the 4,500 square foot property is oriented towards the natural foliage. As a result, the front façade of the house is private and discreet, while the rear facade is oriented to celebrate the spectacular views.
To limit the sight lines of the parking lot, the south face utilizes a playful and strategic arrangement of narrow horizontal and vertical glazing that simultaneously allows sunlight to penetrate deep through the house while retaining privacy. On the north face, its primary glazed façade, it capitalizes on the natural landscape with large picturesque windows overlooking the escarpment.
Inside, soaring 22-foot high ceilings, maple floors, and crisp white walls set the tone for this clean-lined modern space.
In the living room, floor-to-ceiling corner windows play a prominent role bringing the outside in, expanding the space into the forest and beyond.
Each zone of the Entertainment Level is defined, either by a change in level (like the living room), or a change in ceiling height (like the dining area). The kitchen is spatially separated from the dining room by a central granite topped island, while the foyer, located on the other side of the living room, is defined by the intersection of a two-sided fireplace.
The crisp white rectilinear spaces are contrasted by modern furnishings with pops of colour while the Moooi light pendant instills intimacy in the dining area.
The floating steel and maple staircase wrapped in glass takes centre stage, allowing for an ease of circulation between the vertical stacking of public and private spaces. Winding upwards, on the second level are the children’s bedrooms and an open loft office which overlooks the double height living room downstairs. The staircase pinwheels to the third storey where the master-suite is situated, opening to a roof terrace spanning the entire south to north axis of the house. Like the anatomy of a lighthouse, the top floor offers the most panoramic view of its surroundings.
Despite the artful rigidity of its building block exterior, the interior of Lighthouse surprisingly offers an open flowing of articulated spaces that take full advantage of its surroundings. With the uniform use of a mellow toned cedar skin, the residence homogeneously blends into its natural environment while still standing out as a contemporary beacon. This (Light)house definitely shines!
Visit Linebox Studio to check out their impressive body of work, and be sure to read these past canadianrealestatehousingandhome.ca posts on Ottawa architecture including:
> Modern Infill In Ottawa By Christopher Simmonds Architect
> Bower Avenue House By Flynn Architect
All Photographs by Christian Lalonde, courtesy of Linebox Studio.
Researched and Written by Crystal Yung, Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Waterloo University
