Kawagama Lake Retreat

A retreat overlooking Lake Kawagama, near Dorset, Ontario, photographed through the changing seasons.

The project’s unique section is grounded in the site’s sloping topography - shaped to frame views looking north to the lake, while opening up dramatically to the south, permitting light to enter the cabin, filtering through a series of sculptural wood fins.

Photographed in the fall of 2018 and winter 2019, the low sun angle – so characteristic of northern latitudes in the cooler months – penetrates light deep through the cabin.

The project has been published widely and was awarded a Governor General’s Medal in Architecture in 2020.

Architect:
Shim-Sutcliffe Architects

Location:
Dorset, Canada