This magnificent residence is the ultimate in east coast HousePorn!

Located on the glaciate coast of Nova Scotia, the inspirational MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects created a design program analogous to a pair of “binoculars” that celebrates observation and land space.

Constructed as a pair of joint pavilions, Two Hulls House resembles elevated ship hulls stored in cradles for the winter. Yet there is nothing seasonal about it. This is a year-round functioning residence.

The main frame of the house is constructed of steel with a skin of wood to refine the exterior.

The seawall on the foreshore is concrete to protect the house from the spirited waves endemic to the often extreme and captivating maritime climate.

For comfort, the interior concrete floors contain a geothermal heated hydronic system, while vertical wood screens provide a deep overhang which provide shelter in a storm and shade from the sun.

The juxtaposition of the wood and concrete mirror the collision of land and ocean. These are the fundamental elements of Atlantic Canada’s landscape. This simple juxtaposition is what makes this dwelling so compelling.

Check out the interior!

Flooded with light and the narrative of a powerful view, the ‘whiteness’ of the interior and the rhythm of the wood ignites the volume of this ‘domestic ship’ without competing with what matters most. The context of the landscape.

We find this mesmerizing!

Well done!

Architects: MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects
All Photos on Architizer, courtesy of photographer Greg Richardson

Researched and Written by: Julia Borowicz
Urban Studies and Human Geography
University of Toronto, Undergraduate Studies