Owen Sound Ledgerock Ltd.

Lake Manitouwabing Residence / MJMA

A Toronto family commissioned a new four-season residence on a west-facing peninsula to replace their 1930s home, aiming to maximize outdoor living and entertaining. The modern structure is designed to cascade and hover over the landscape, blending with its surroundings while maintaining a quiet presence from the water. An interlocking plan organizes indoor spaces around a central outdoor living area, creating a sheltered microclimate for year-round use. The rectangular plan carves terraces, courtyards, a levitating lake deck, and a screened porch, while flat roofs, inspired by mid-century precedents, float outward to frame the Canadian shield horizon. The design divides the home into three east-west program bars, with public living on the southwest and private areas on the northeast, framing the outdoor space in between. A central courtyard features a clefted rock, anchoring the project to its site, while a clerestory “sharkfin” roof captures morning light. The residence sits low on the land, stepping with the grade, backed by pines, and oriented to collect warmth, light, and lake views throughout the day. Passive design strategies include deep overhangs, large south- and west-facing glazing, heavily insulated north and east façades, operable windows for cross ventilation, and concrete radiant floor heating. Sustainable systems such as a high-efficiency boiler, HRV, and wood stove reduce energy use, while R-35 roofs and low-E glazing optimize performance. The design reuses site clearing, protects existing trees, and emphasizes natural materials, large operable openings, and sheltered outdoor spaces to encourage health, wellness, and social engagement. Fluid indoor-outdoor connections, abundant light, and a humble, contextual form create a home that harmonizes with the site, extends outdoor living through the seasons, and responds to both client needs and the natural environment.