The site faces southeast, opening onto a generous horizon: sweeping sea views, long hours of summer light, and the shifting spectacle of coastal storms arriving from the open water. Before imagining a building, the owners spent an entire summer camping there — learning the climate, the silences, the light. From that experience emerged the commission: to create a contemporary cabin where life could unfold simply, informally, and above all, outdoors.

Two modest structures, an open way of life

Laura Killam’s response is a composition of two modest structures arranged in an L-shape, embracing a sheltered courtyard: The Cabin, containing the living spaces and bedrooms — each with its own direct access from outside — and The Barn, a flexible volume housing a multi-use gathering area and a breezeway beneath a broad gabled roof.

Between the two, a particular way of living takes shape: a natural movement between indoors and out, amplified by wide porches, walkways, terraces, and deep roof overhangs that extend the life of the house well beyond its walls.

Adapting to the climate, celebrating the summer

Both volumes sit low, almost at ground level, softening the transition between meadow, deck and interior. Strategic shading elements — sloped roofs, pronounced eaves, open breezeways — allow the building to respond passively to heat and changing light. A generous outdoor shower and bathing area reinforces this direct relationship with nature, inviting a routine that blends with the sound of wind and the salt-laden air drifting in from the sea.

The primary aim was to create a place where summer can be lived fully — from long sunrise to warm evening.

Materials born from the landscape

To endure an exposed environment, materials were chosen with the serenity that true weathering requires. Both walls and roofs are clad in untreated, rough-sawn cedar boards that will naturally silver in the coastal air. Indoors, the same cedar appears in a soft grey finish, echoing the coastal landscape and offering a calm counterpoint to the bright light of the warmest months.

The furnishings, inspired by utilitarian farmstead forms, are robust, durable, understated—pieces designed to support a simple life, free from aesthetic tension or artifice.

The ideal refuge for a slower pace

Ranch Outpost is both a place for lively gatherings and a setting for quiet connection with the land around it. Its architecture proposes a different rhythm, one capable of slowing the days and allowing each gesture — sitting in the shade, walking barefoot, watching the movement of the sea — to regain its meaning.

In essence, the project embodies what its owners envisioned: an architecture that deepens the relationship with the landscape, one that accompanies life without prescribing it, one that allows summer to be experienced intensely, right up to the very edge of each day. A retreat that, like the cedar that wraps it, will evolve over time, finding in the patina of its own materiality the memory of every season.

Project: Ranch Outpost.
Location: Columbia Británica.
Completion: 2025.
Architecture: Laura Killam Arquitectura.
Lead Architect: Laura Killam.
Interior Design: Sophie Burke Design.
Photography: Andrew Latreille.
Source: Laura Killam Arquitectura.

Laura Killman Architecture

Laura Killam Architecture is an interdisciplinary design studio dedicated to enriching everyday life through the spaces it conceives. Specializing in bespoke homes set in the remote, untamed landscapes of the British Columbia coast, the studio pursues design solutions in which function and beauty intertwine, giving shape to an architecture that is serene, discreet and deeply rooted in place. Its work ranges from reading and defining a site in the heart of nature to planning access and infrastructure, always projecting with an eye attentive to both the present and the generations to come, and addressing architecture and interior design as an integrated whole.

LKA approaches each project as a conversation with the land. Its spaces seek to inhabit beauty —the beauty unfolding both within and beyond— and to respond meaningfully to those who will live in them. Each design is conceived to connect people with the natural environment through movement, revealing shifts in perspective, light and shadow, and offering a subtle balance between shelter and openness.

The studio is inspired by the spirit of Sea Ranch in California, the modernist tradition of the West Coast, and a profound commitment to preserving the landscape. Guided by this sensibility, it aspires to create buildings that quietly withdraw, allowing the power of the surroundings to speak first. Its ultimate aim is to shape spaces where one can breathe.

Originally from British Columbia —dividing her early life between Vancouver and a remote island off its coast— Laura Killam brings a multidisciplinary perspective forged as an architect, exhibition designer and film set designer. Her career has been shaped by the creation of spatial environments that are both innovative and meaningful.

Before founding Laura Killam Architecture in 2017, she worked as an architect at Public Architecture & Communication, a renowned Vancouver-based design firm. She previously served as Head of Exhibition Design and Production at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal, and collaborated with Gehry Partners in Los Angeles on architecture and exhibition design projects.

Laura holds a Master of Architecture from Yale University —where she was nominated for the Feldman Prize— and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Concordia University in Montreal. She is a licensed architect in British Columbia and the State of Washington, and is a LEED AP.

Committed to education as well, she is an adjunct professor at the UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. She has previously taught in the Architectural Science department at BCIT and in the Design Formation program at Langara College.

The architects began the project with the aim of creating a self-sufficient, net-zero energy family retreat in harmony with a delicate ecosystem. As they explain, “The owners placed environmental concerns at the center of the design and building practices.” This intention guided every construction decision, turning these cabins into a manifesto of sustainability and respect for the land.

Challenges on a remote island

Far from conventional paths, building Armstrong Cottage was an almost epic challenge. Logistics required creative solutions: “The commissioning of barges, the construction of docks capable of rising and falling with the seasonal changes in water levels, and the organization of transporting heavy machinery over the ice during winter months kept our design team on edge, expectant of each new obstacle that might arise during the work,” the architects recount. This succession of difficulties, far from hindering the project, gave it a unique character. Each challenge overcome became part of the narrative of Armstrong Cottage, reinforcing its bond with this special island.

Light and respectful architecture

The house is organized into two pavilions—one for living and one for resting—raised on stilts in natural forest clearings. In this way, the architecture seems to float among the treetops, allowing the landscape to flow beneath the structures. This gesture, at once delicate and forceful, minimizes the footprint on the land and establishes a respectful dialogue with the ecosystem.

To anchor the volumes, steel columns were fixed directly to the bedrock, minimizing the use of concrete. The rest of the structure was conceived as a kit of parts: wood and steel beams, laminated rigid frames, pieces assembled with plates and bolts, easily transportable by barge and precisely mounted on site with artisanal skill.

A balance between memory and future

Armstrong Cottage is, at the same time, a glance at the past and a commitment to the future. It recovers the nostalgia of its owners’ childhood summers through an architectural language that is conscious, placing sustainability as a priority and lightness as a condition. It is an example of how architecture can become a mediator between memory and landscape, between technique and nature.

Project: Armstrong Cottage.
Architecture and Design: Peter Braithwaite Studio.
Architects: Peter Braithwaite, Matt Gillingham, Jody Miller.
Interior Design: The Visionary Company.
Interior Styling: No.2 collection.
Construction: Beacon Construction.
Structural Engineering:: Blackwell Structural Engineering.
Drawings and Models: Matt Gillingham, Peter Braithwaite, Keegan Gray.
Photography: James Morley/doublespace photography.
Rendering: Yurii Suhov.
Source: Peter Braithwaite Studio.

Peter Braithwaite Studio

Fundado en 2014 en Halifax, Nueva Escocia, Peter Braithwaite Studio es un despacho de arquitectura que integra diseño y construcción en un mismo proceso. Su trabajo se distingue por un enfoque sostenible y un profundo interés por la materialidad, la artesanía y la relación con el paisaje. El estudio entiende cada proyecto como una oportunidad para investigar cómo la arquitectura puede generar un impacto positivo en el entorno natural y en la vida de las personas.
La práctica ha sido reconocida por su capacidad de combinar precisión constructiva con sensibilidad medioambiental. En 2024 recibió el RAIC Emerging Architectural Practice Award, un galardón que distingue a los estudios emergentes que contribuyen de manera destacada a la cultura arquitectónica canadiense. Su trabajo ha aparecido en medios internacionales y ha sido incluido en la Architects’ Directory de Wallpaper.

Peter Braithwaite

El arquitecto y fundador, Peter Braithwaite, nació en Kingsville, Ontario. Antes de dedicarse a la arquitectura, se formó en carpintería y ebanistería, experiencia que ha marcado de manera decisiva su aproximación al diseño. Sus primeros intereses académicos incluyeron la biología y las artes visuales, pero pronto orientó su carrera hacia la arquitectura, convencido de que la construcción debía ser un acto consciente de integración entre idea y oficio.

Se graduó en la Dalhousie University de Halifax, donde obtuvo un grado en Environmental Design Studies y un Máster en Arquitectura, recibiendo la Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Student Medal por su excelencia académica. Posteriormente inició estudios de doctorado en Dalhousie y en la University of Calgary, centrados en la relación entre sistemas constructivos, ecología y biodiversidad.

Paralelamente a su práctica profesional, Braithwaite ejerce como profesor adjunto en la Escuela de Arquitectura de Dalhousie, donde dirige talleres y estudios de diseño. Su labor docente se complementa con la mentoría a jóvenes arquitectos y la investigación académica.
La trayectoria de Peter Braithwaite combina investigación, enseñanza y práctica profesional, con un hilo conductor claro: la búsqueda de una arquitectura responsable, materialmente honesta y estrechamente vinculada al territorio.

Inspired by clean lines and a gabled structure, the house’s silhouette combines classical and contemporary elements. Its architecture adapts to the contours of the land, taking advantage of its slopes to offer breathtaking views while maintaining the privacy of each living space.

The volumes and noble materials are perfectly integrated into the surroundings, maintaining a constant dialogue with the natural elements: the rocks, the trees and their canopies. The Hâle, the north and east wind that dries the plants and the earth, is here a structural presence that influences the layout and materiality of the spaces. A symbol of strength and character, it inspires robust architectural forms and durable materials that resonate with their surroundings.

The materials selected, such as the light wood of the facades and the grey stone at the base of the structure, reinforce the natural anchorage of the house, and add warmth and rustic charm. The clean-lined black metal roof contrasts with the natural tones of the façade, adding a contemporary touch.

The terraces and outdoor spaces are designed to fully embrace the landscape, allowing residents to live in symbiosis with nature all year round. These spaces offer the perfect place to relax while admiring the changing colours of the seasons.

The interior layout is designed to make the most of natural light, creating bright and welcoming spaces. Large windows and unobstructed views connect each interior space with the exterior landscapes, ensuring visual and sensory continuity with nature. The interior spaces prioritise comfort and conviviality, with fluid circulation and generous volumes that foster a serene and welcoming atmosphere.

Natural stone fireplaces serve as warm focal points in living areas, reinforcing the connection to the natural surroundings. Their raw, timeless stone fireplaces evoke the textures and colours of the outdoor landscape. These elements add character and strength.

The glazed terrace is designed as a light-filled, south-facing sanctuary, making it the perfect place to relax and enjoy the rhythm of the seasons, sheltered from the elements. With its large windows and glass doors, it creates a seamless connection between indoors and outdoors, offering an unobstructed view of the deciduous forest, while allowing sunlight to flood the space with natural warmth.

Project: Résidence du Hâle.
Architecture: Atelier Boom-Town.
Location: Wentworth-Nord, Canadá.
Finished: 2024.
Contractor general: Bois & Nature Construction.
Structural Engineer: Geniex.
External cladding: Juste du Pin, Pangaea Natural Stone,
MAC Architectural.
Doors and windows: Fabelta.
Joinery: Créations de la Sablonnière.
Staircase: Escaliers Maxime Lauzon.
Interior doors and mouldings: Boiserie VM.
Photographer: Vincent Brillant.

Atelier Boom-Town

Atelier Boom-Town, directed by architect Eric Joseph Tremblay, proposes a re-reading of the architecture of buildings on a human scale, working with space, light and materials, based on the original principles of boom-town buildings.

Historically, a Boomtown house is associated with the “mushroom” towns of 1890-1920 created near industrial complexes and mines. It is easily recognised by its simple facade and square shape. Its roof is flat, or almost flat, which was an innovation for the time. The popularity of the Boomtown house was mainly due to its larger space and low construction cost.

A century later, l’Atelier Boom-Town proposes a re-reading of the architecture of buildings on a human scale, based on the original principles of the Boomtown house. Today, they are inspired by the simplicity and efficiency of these buildings to design contemporary dwellings that, through architecture that is as innovative as it is contextual, improve their environment and the experience of their users.

Source: V2com newswire.