A good friend of mine and his family have a cottage in Muskoka Ontario and are looking to build a new boathouse where an existing wet boathouse sits. I offered to do some designs up for them as I thought it would be a fun project to get into.
Muskoka over the last 70+ years has developed a style of its own when it comes to architectural and interior design. I believe it has to do with the rare geographical qualities of the area which is in the middle of the Canadian Shield. The entire area is full of igneous rock, which later turned into metamorphic rock. Over the millions of years topsoil depth has grown to 10-15 feet in some areas. There’s lots of vegetation in the area which is part of the northern Boreal forest. Most of the plant life is coniferous. The area is covered in beautiful freshwater lakes, the biggest in the area being Lake Joseph, Lake Rosseau, Muskoka Lake and Lake of Bays. The unique combine of topsoil covered rocks and thick tree lined shores makes for an idea cottage setting.
Some of the inspiration of the muskoka style comes from Adirondack mountains area of New York State. Often the residences here are constructed out of wood and stone or at least the exterior cladding is meant to look as if it were. These buildings used to be mere cabins on the lake with a few rooms and a kitchen and were definitely not winterized. Now the constructions in the Adirondack as well as the Muskokas act as second houses country houses that can be used year round for relaxing weekends and vacations.
The thing about the designs and the nature and the lifestyle up there is that it is truly effective. I have stayed in many of the beautiful Muskoka cottages all designed by architects that know the local design flavour and you find yourself pondering about why life can get so complicated when it is so simple there on a pristine lake surrounded by nature and your to do list of chopping some firewood, going for a boat ride and marinating your steaks for the evening.
I am obviously an Ontario native but there is definitely something about the northern Ontario landscapes and these private getaways that just emphasize relaxation, balance and fun. This lifestyle is obviously synonymous with the affluent, but that doesn’t mean that there isn't a piece of this paradise or project on a budget that can't deliver the exact same feeling.
The important thing in design now that this secret of Ontario culture is out and populations are rising is to maintain healthy lakes and maintain the local ecosystems. Emphasize boat access cottages to use solar power and wind generation and as the design community of architects and engineers it is our job to make it cool, as green is very cool.