Awards.

Hilltop Cottage

The Hilltop Cottage is an off-grid pavilion overlooking the Saint John river valley below. The cottage provides a place of prospect and refuge for seasonal dwelling. The shingle-clad structure responds to high craft and maritime material culture. Sliding barn doors conceal the openings to present a monolithic and primary form. The hipped-roof and thickened walls recall the vernacular language of historic Scottish shielings and Irish tower houses. A foundation of local field stone grounds the project. Glazed wood doors provide an additional layer of enclosure. When opened, the north corner of the cottage disappears completely, without the use of steel structure. What originally appears to be a pure, mute form carved from a single block, transforms into an instrument for viewing the landscape. Natural light and air pass through the openings in the walls, integrating its surroundings with the interior through passive systems. Two vaulted skylights extend the interior volume vertically and create a nested central living space. The finishes reinforce the purity of form through minimalist detailing.

Inspired by the Orinda House by Charles Moore (1962), the parti is a ‘house within a house.’ The cottage is of a type: an offspring of precedent projects designed by our firm. Retracted doors reveal a deep overhang, while recessed cavities in the 4-foot walls hold a hearth, kitchen, and storage; pushing the essential program of daily life into the thickness of the outer walls. The entirety of the cottage is constructed using local materials and labour. 98% of the project is made from wood. This choice was made for its minimal environmental impact, renewable nature, and ability to sequester carbon. Special attention is given to the sources from which the timber is acquired. The frame and roof, for example, are obtained from a sustainably managed forest in New Brunswick. This project elevates the values of New Brunswick’s architectural dialogue through its self-sufficient systems designed in celebration and honour of the province’s natural terroir, fostering awareness to the past, present, and future local building culture.