Meet in the middle house
The resolution of functional spaces for both work and relaxation and maintained an unimpeded physical and visual relationship to the natural environment that drove the fundamental design concept for this project. This dwelling and studio was designed for two artists in the rural Nova Scotian community of Pictou that is well known for its fishing industry. The elongated linear form stretches along the flat sweeping natural landscape and creates a harmonious connection between the natural and the constructed. The building acts as a type of aperture for viewing the ever changing seasons and climatic conditions throughout the year along the Nova Scotian coast.
Each end of the project is flanked by fully tailored studio designed for the specific needs of each artist. Although these separate sectors of the building are used to design and create, the occupants come together for the daily living, dwelling and gathering activities in the middle of the structure.
Although the program is broken into working and dwelling spaces, the long ribbon-like form of the building acts to unify the spaces through the use of vaulted ceilings and a central hallway that runs the length of the entire building. Adjacent to the great room, the building is penetrated by an exterior breezeway which gives sheltered outdoor space for gathering and engaging with nature.
Architecture and Design: Peter Braithwaite Studio Ltd. (Peter Braithwaite, Matt Gillingham, Jody Miller)
Construction: Peter Braithwaite Studio Ltd.
Structural Engineering: Andrea Doncaster Engineering
Drawings and Models: Matt Gillingham, Peter Braithwaite
Photographs: Ema Peter, Peter Braithwaite
Renderings: Yurii Suhov