Communal Lakeside Vacation House in Ontario
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For Karina Inzunza, Graham Barker, Melana Janzen, and John McMinn (pictured left to right), a shared vacation home on Georgian Bay was the perfect opportunity to pool resources, split costs, and create an extended family unit.
Photo by: Lorne Bridgman -
The vacation complex is designed to promote an easy flow between the two families' spaces, which include guest cabins and a shared porch for hanging out and eating.
Photo by: Lorne Bridgman -
The large wraparound porch links the two main houses and two guest cabins, and is the site of many impromptu shared meals.
Photo by: Lorne Bridgman -
Two-year-old Annika and five-year-old Soren make music on the "nap swing," a popular hangout spot for kids and adults alike.
Photo by: Lorne Bridgman -
McMinn, an architect, helps Soren construct a TinkerToy tower. The cowhide rug is from Perfect Leather Goods, and the Wassily Chair is by Marcel Breuer for Knoll.
Photo by: Lorne Bridgman -
A view of the exterior of the structure, showing the two families' separate living spaces anchored by a single broad porch.
Photo by: Lorne Bridgman -
Barker, a software executive and former professional drummer, describes the challenge of the project as such: "It’s the expression of two commingling family structures, with respect for the need for individuality at times."
Photo by: Lorne Bridgman -
As shown here, the orientation of the two houses provides both privacy and occasional moments of permeability; a peek through the window above the master bed reveals neighbors across the way.
Photo by: Lorne Bridgman -
The structures share a solar panel, but the families control their own home's heat level with a wood-burning stove.
Photo by: Lorne Bridgman -
Soren and Annika share a lofted bedroom and a pair of bunks. In Barker and Inzunza's house, this space is used as an office and music room.
Photo by: Lorne Bridgman -
McMinn and Janzen's kitchen opens onto a double-height living and dining area.
Photo by: Lorne Bridgman -
In addition to spaces for dining and napping, the porch shelters a kayak and this hanging bench-cum-balance beam made of salvaged tree trunks.
Photo by: Lorne Bridgman -
What else is the porch good for? Tricycle races, of course.
Photo by: Lorne Bridgman -
Here, a floor plan of the shared structure, called the CP Harbour House, which was designed by architects (and residents) Melana Janzen and John McMinn.
Photo by: Lorne Bridgman
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