Nestled into the cedar canopy of a steep, forested site, Cedar’s Kin responds to the opportunities and constraints of the hillside. The home is organized as a series of interconnected volumes that step down toward the water. The cascading arrangement establishes a clear spatial sequence – users arrive at the top of the hill and gradually descend through the project toward the beach – allowing the architecture to engage the landscape at multiple elevations.
Each program volume rotates to align with existing openings in the tree canopy, framing sweeping views of Lake Huron. Gentle shifts and variations establish a rhythm along the slope, with each interior space forming a unique relationship with the surrounding forest. Large openings capture light and direct attention outward, offering filtered glimpses through branches as well as broader panoramas over the water. The form is precise and playful, a composition that adapts to the terrain and strengthens connections between inside and out.
Environmental sensitivity guided initial design decisions, with attention to the preservation of existing trees and to erosion-reduction strategies. Local conservation authorities were engaged early in the process to inform siting and ensure built interventions work with the slope, rather than impose upon it.
A series of secondary structures, including a guest cabin and beach hut, are positioned with similar care across the landscape. Sharing the same formal language as the main home, the smaller structures extend the architectural narrative across the property and activate the larger site.
Material choices reinforce a calm and cohesive character. Eastern white cedar clads the exterior, with cedar soffit boards extending through to the interior ceilings. Interior spaces are anchored by banks of oak millwork and soft furnishings, providing warmth and continuity throughout.
Cedar’s Kin is characterized by gentle shifts, stepped volumes, and the sequences they create. It is an architecture shaped by its setting: responsive to light, framed by the forest, and balanced on the steep terrain characteristic of Lake Huron’s eastern shore.
Design
Omar Gandhi, John Gray Thomson, Chad Jamieson, Stephanie Hosein, Jeff Walker, Kaylee Peters
Clients
Undisclosed
Photography
Ema Peter Photography
