Located on a secluded peninsula along a quiet, motorboat-free lake in Ontario’s Muskoka region, Long Lake Cottage offers an off-grid retreat shaped by its natural surroundings. The project, designed by Dubbeldam Architecture + Design, occupies a forested site where the owners spent a full year camping before deciding where and how to build. Their goal centered on creating a place closely connected to the landscape, elevated within the trees, and capable of supporting multigenerational living throughout the year. The completed residence spans 333 square meters and integrates accessible design strategies that allow every member of the family to experience the site equally.
HOUSING
The two-level structure sits below a ridge of exposed bedrock, which conceals the lower portion of the cottage from view when approaching the site. A bridge leads to the upper level entrance, providing wheelchair access while introducing visitors to the elevated living areas. Dubbeldam Architecture + Design placed the primary communal spaces on this upper floor to realize the owners’ vision of a living room positioned within the tree canopy. Wrap-around glazing and large sliding doors frame views of water and forest while opening onto a generous deck that faces west and south. These openings extend the interior outward and allow the surrounding landscape to shape the daily experience of the house.
At the center of the upper level sits an open living and dining area oriented toward the lake. A cast concrete hearth anchors the room and organizes seating areas intended for gathering. Along the glazing, a seventeen-foot-long built-in window bench provides additional seating while incorporating hidden storage. The adjacent kitchen introduces white oak millwork paired with engineered stone counters and backsplash surfaces. A long island with integrated seating subtly defines the cooking area while maintaining the openness of the plan. Overhead, continuous western hemlock boards run across the ceiling, adding warmth while softening acoustics throughout the shared space.
The lower level contains five bedrooms, each connected directly to the outdoors through floor-to-ceiling windows and individual entrances. This arrangement allows guests to step directly into the forest while maintaining privacy from the communal areas above. The primary bedroom opens toward western views and connects to an ensuite bathroom that includes an outdoor shower, referencing the family’s long tradition of camping on the site. An additional bedroom and bathroom on the upper level provide full accessibility, ensuring that every generation of the family can occupy the cottage comfortably.
The two volumes shift slightly along their length, producing sheltered exterior spaces that extend the living areas outdoors. The upper deck, positioned beside the living room, offers panoramic views in three directions and includes retractable screens and a wood-burning outdoor fireplace that mirrors the interior hearth. Beneath it, a lower deck sits beside a bedrock outcrop where natural shade and breezes from the lake keep the space cool during summer months.
Long Lake Cottage operates entirely off-grid through a large solar array. The project uses sustainably harvested wood species, including timber milled locally, as both structural material and interior finish. Greyed cedar and charcoal-stained spruce wrap the exterior, allowing the building to recede into the forest, while brush-finished oak flooring and oil-rubbed hemlock introduce a lighter interior palette. The hemlock ceiling boards continue from inside to outside, strengthening the visual continuity between architecture and landscape.
Completed in 2025, Long Lake Cottage functions as a year-round retreat designed for gathering and quiet immersion in nature. Elevated living spaces, accessible planning, and carefully selected materials establish a residence that follows the rhythms of the surrounding forest and lake while maintaining a restrained architectural presence within the wilderness.
