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At the north end of the living room, a sliding barn-style door opens to reveal the primary suite. Ken and Joan love to entertain, so a large, comfortable sectional was a must. Positioned in front of the custom fireplace, it’s a popular after-dinner gathering place when it’s too cool or rainy to venture outdoors.

In the primary bathroom, the skylight aligns perfectly with the floating vanity below, letting in an abundance of natural daylight and creating geometric shadows on the walls.

Cedar ceilings throughout are a nod to the cedars in the old-growth forest surrounding the house. A window over the sink gives the homeowners a peek-a-boo view to the front of their house, so they can catch glimpses of foliage, even while washing the dishes.

For the living room, Dovetail’s metal shop fabricated a custom fireplace to go between the Quantum windows. The steel surround is coated in an antique black finish to complement the stained cedar wall.

During site excavation, a collection of large, glacial boulders was discovered. Ken, who is interested in geology wanted to keep them on property, so Signal Architecture worked as many as they could into the landscape. The slatted fir wall separates the home’s dining area from the guest wing.

Architect Mark Johnson has long been inspired by the texture produced by traditional Indigenous canoe carving. The design team worked with Jim Barker at British Columbia woodworking studio Barker Manufacturing, to produce Ken and Joan’s cedar door. Its texture was produced using a CNC adze.

The interiors were kept quite simple, with white oak floors, crisp white walls and black frames on the window.

Nigel might go out for a morning walk and bring back some porcini he found; last weekend, they even found evidence a bear had been out of the property.

A black-and-white palette give the traditional farmhouse architecture a modern twist.

The siding and roof are both metal, a fire-safe choice in a region with serious wildfire risk. The deck was built from paved stones.

Bertoia side chairs and an Aplomb pendant by Foscarini complete the dining area.

In the living space, a custom sofa doubles as a pullout bed. An Aeris Cocoon bioethanol fireplace is suspended from the ceiling.

The prefabricated cabin consists of four modules connected by covered walkways. Each module has a dedicated purpose: living, sleeping/studying, energy, and outdoor dining. Connected to the sleep/study space, the energy module has a greenhouse and rainwater collection system.

The system’s modules have a set design, but floor plans and finishes can be customized.

To meet the project’s sustainability goals and minimize impact to the site, the prefab was built off-site, has an impermanent foundation, smart-home controls, and a 4.1 kW solar array.

The living area is encased on three sides by window walls, which slide open to the deck and offer views of the meadow and water beyond. "I love sitting in the living room and staring out to the water, the doors just melt away and it feels very quiet,

In the bathroom, stainless steel countertops and porcelain tiles bring a sense of muted softness.