Bridgehouse | Blackwell Structural Engineers

Program

Conceived as a horizontal line to counterpoint its setting atop a ravine, the 2,400 square foot Bridgehouse is both a dwelling and an object that compliments and emphasizes the natural condition of its territory. The open plan living room at its centre is suspended 5m above forest floor, acting as a viewing gallery that places the user within the tree canopy to witness the four seasons of Ontario’s constantly changing landscape.

The key structural element is the glue-laminated Douglas-fir struts that push the boundaries of wood as a material, allowing the bridge to span 18 metres across a ravine. The design permits the house to have a structure free lakefront façade that includes a 12 metre long sliding door system that converts the living room into a covered porch when opened. The rear strut doubles as the stringer for a staircase connecting the main floor to a 2000 square foot roof deck. Unlike a traditional house, the Bridgehouse has a bottom, or a fifth façade. This, along with the exterior walls, is clad in unstained cedar intentionally left to weather naturally. This celebrates the resiliency of the material, giving the house a dynamic character, designed to change.

Private Residential