Dream/Dive Platform Encourages Playful Summer Living

Summer is all about experiencing simple pleasures.

Architects Matthew Kennedy and Mark Erickson of Studio North understood that fact with the design of their Dream/Dive Platform. The duo run a design/build practice based in Calgary, Canada, and there's not much that doesn't fall within their creative purview. Their work runs the gamut from public art installations, to custom millwork and furniture, to kids' camps and residences. Per their website: "Whether you're a child or an adult, spaces can engage your imagination, broaden your mind, and excite your spirit."  

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Take the Dream/Dive Platform, a weekend project for a family cottage on Bobs Lake in Ontario, Canada. For the structure, they combined a simple screened "hut" with a cantilevered diving platform. Waxed tent canvas can be rolled down to protect the interior from more "gnarly weather."

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As befits a weekend project, they kept the materials simple and used what they had on hand. This included basic lumber from the hardware store, repurposed cedar decking, rocks from the lake shore, and nylon rope from a sailboat. 

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Whether spending the night under the stars, leaping into the water on a hot morning, or taking a drowsy nap by the water's edge, it's a project that delivers summer at its best. 

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Melissa Dalton
Dwell Contributor
Melissa Dalton is a freelance writer in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing for Dwell since 2017. Read more of her work about design and architecture at melissadalton.net.

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