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Fuse Architects took a 1960s-built home in Pajaro Dunes, California, and renovated it as a retreat for their clients, a family of five. “The idea was to take the existing house and give it new life—one that met the needs and aesthetics of our designer clients,” says the firm. “Although the shape and form of the remodeled home remains relatively unchanged from its original design, we wanted to take advantage of the ocean’s proximity by opening up the walls and providing framed views of the coast line.”

Real Cedar is a natural cladding material with low embodied energy that is sourced from sustainably managed forests. While other, synthetic building materials emits carbon, western red cedar stores carbon from the atmosphere.

The entire home is clad in Western Red Cedar siding, imbuing the built form with a rich warmth that responds to the natural surroundings while also making a striking design statement.

“Our home in Halifax is small so it’s nice to have a place where we can have guests and not be on top of each other,” says homeowner Andrew Noseworthy. “As we look down the road, when our daughters have families of their own, we’ll have the space to all gather. Perhaps in retirement, we’ll be there full time.”

Located less than an hour away from the couple’s main home in Halifax, the Monocular is situated on a waterside site in Chester Basin, Nova Scotia. “We were looking all along the South Shore and lucked into the land through a work colleague,” reveals homeowner Dale Noseworthy. A long, winding path has been etched through indigenous low-brush plantings down to the ocean, private wharf, and firepit.