Horseshoe Lake, Ontario
Garland /Bentley Cottage

This lakeside summer house is designed as a framing device to dramatic views down the lake and as a threshold to the site from its two points of arrival. The main entry is by boat, and the other a foot path from a neighbouring family cottage just east of the site. The program is organized into an upper bar shaped volume that contains the bedrooms and that sits over a perpendicular ‘bar’ that houses the stepped level living spaces, grounding the building into its sloping site over a stone plinth. Sleeping and living spaces are connected by a stair tower - a third rectilinear volume in the composition. These three elements overlap to create two entry portals, and also forming a shaded terrace and screened porch under the cantilevered bedroom wing. This siting creates a natural courtyard around an existing crest of the site and frames a vantage point for views in two directions between these entry gateways between the separate building elements. These buildings may be seen as datum lines against which to register the dramatic topography.