“Coming Soon: Scarcliffe Cottage”
By: Steve Socha
Now under construction is our Scarcliffe Cottage, located right on the shoreline of Lake Muskoka, in Port Carling Ontario.
When the clients approached Altius to design and building them a new cottage, they did not yet have a property. After spending months searching the area, Altius principal Graham Smith and the clients found a property located right on the water.
Situated in a high-traffic zone of the lake, many boaters stop by to admire the construction, as well as ask how the cottage was able to be built so close to the shoreline.
This was an ideal site, as the existing cottage could be demolished, with a new cottage placed on the same footprint. Typically, new cottages must be set well back from the waterfront, so as not to disturb the natural shoreline. The site is also on the north side of the lake, allowing for perfect conditions for passive solar heat and light.
Built to last, the cottage will be made of durable and natural materials, and finished with Muskoka Rock, Douglas fir wood, KINDL burnt wood siding, and Fundermax phenolic panel. The structure will rise from, and be continuous with the surrounding landscape.
Heritage Windows are proving the wood curtain wall system, which will provide vast areas of glazing and views of the lake from everywhere in the cottage. With its proximity to the water, the building will be a light-filled beacon on the horizon.
With a master suite, three kids bedrooms, and bunkie that sleeps four, the cottage will be perfect for entertaining, and for large family gatherings. The deck extending from the kitchen and living room will merge the indoors with out, and cantilever right over the water, for an unforgettable connection to nature. The boathouse and large dock will provide further space to soak up the sun.
The project is currently framed, with cladding, mechanical, and electrical underway. The project is scheduled for completion in June of 2020.
Rendering of the cottage exterior, from Lake Muskoka.
Construction photo of the cottage from the same vantage point.
Night time rendering of the cottage from the east.