Page 75 - Designing Ways 280

more efficient access to the outdoor gathering spaces and the existing
boathouse.

Rockhaven is a house designed for entertaining. As you enter the
main floor, you are greeted by an unobstructed view of the three-
sided stone fireplace, framed by full-height windows overlooking
the lake. The open concept and high ceilings throughout the main
floor mean that all public spaces, including the adjacent outdoor
terrace, are visually and physically connected. It was important to
the homeowners that the house flowed seamlessly through the main
spaces while balancing a cosy atmosphere. The house is organised
with public spaces on the upper entry level. There is also a guest suite
immediately off the living and dining room that features views of the
lake, the forest, and the existing guest house on the property from the
private balcony. The lower level features private bedrooms, a library,
a family room, a gym, and a walk-out to the garden. The property
further benefits from a guest house on the north side of Rockhaven.

A natural palette that blends the indoors with the outdoors
A natural palette on the interior brings the beauty of the forest inside.
Following the central concept of the two intersecting volumes, two
types of wood were used in the main spaces to define the living
areas—a natural shade of wood in the living and dining room, and
a lighter essence in the kitchen. This material choice reinforces the
distinct identity of the two intersecting volumes. The wood finishing
also links the kitchen with the exterior terrace – another choice that
keeps the connection with the outdoors.

Special care was taken with the placement of the house. The narrow
site has a long frontage along the road and a legally restrictive
naturally vegetated buffer on the lakeside. The design solution was
to take advantage of the slope down to the lake, minimising the

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