Seabright Residence

Located in the small coastal community of Seabright, Nova Scotia, this private residence overlooks a picturesque lake that is connected to the ocean by a tidal brook. Building upon Nova Scotia’s rich wood culture, this modest 1000 square foot house is entirely constructed form locally sourced wood products.

Much of the early schematic design work for this residence explored visual, tactile and sonic connections between the interior dwelling spaces and natural environment surrounding the building. The home’s programmatic layout was derived directly from the natural features found within the site. For example, dappled light that cast through the site’s trees amplifies the haptic quality of gathering spaces and the sound quality of the adjacent babbling brook brings tranquility and calming to spaces used for reading and writing.

The internal gathering areas were positioned in a way that connected them to the outdoor garden. In this way, the threshold between interior and exterior or natural and artificial was diminished and the natural beauty of the site was brought into the building both visually and sonically.

The vaulted living and kitchen areas nest between the two vertically clad bedrooms. The horizontal and vertical cladding on the exterior elevations articulate this interior dwelling relationship. Given the compact nature of this house, the efficient use of space, the strategic control of natural light, and expansive sight-lines acted to expand the space. The great room opens to the east with a window wall that faces the lake, flooding the dining and living areas with warm natural lighting in the morning. High west-facing clerestory windows wash the vaulted ceiling in the afternoon, providing additional lighting for the kitchen and washroom. A central hallway runs the full length of the house to maximize the efficiency of space and movement, like a spine that organizes the building’s interior. The resulting interior environment is bright and offer a neutral gallery-like atmosphere that directs focus and frames the exterior views. The end result is an efficient and compact space that is outwardly focused to 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: Julian Parkinson, Peter Braithwaite