As the interest in being more energy efficient continues to grow, the need to create living spaces that look good and save energy and money also grows. A pair of talented architects in Canada, Coryn Kempster and Julia Jamrozik have designed and built a truly amazing holiday home on the banks of Stoney Lake, Ontario.
Not only does Sky House look amazing from the outside, with its saw-tooth top and natural looking timber walls, it hides more fantastic features inside. The Sky House consists of two levels stacked cleverly on top of one another. The lower level is a small box-like shaped room and is tucked into the landscape and almost hidden completely, at least from a distance; the upper level rests on the lower one and on a concrete pier to form both a bridge and a cantilever.
Compared to the rustic, timber-clad exterior, the interior is a wonderful contrast. A very clean and modern, almost minimalist feel is created by lots of white with smartly placed splashes of yellow, pink and blue. Thanks to the unique layout, there is an interesting little gap between the natural slopes of the landscape and the living areas. While the panelling covers one side, the other side is covered with glazing that not only lets in a lot of light and access to the roof of the lower level, which doubles as a terrace for the top half where you can experience some truly breathtaking views of the lake.
How do Kempster and Jamrozik’s Sky House and its quirky design tie in with the subject of energy conservation? Well, not only does it look really good and hide a sumptuous and relaxing retreat with an unassuming exterior; it is also incredibly sustainable. 100% of the energy needed for the property is produced by solar panels, while the skylights (that take their inspiration from factories), facing to the north allows natural light to flow in and lessens the heat increase during the summer.
If that wasn’t enough, there is more to the Sky House than just the clever use of solar panelling, an ingenious design and the beautifully kitted out interior. In the end, a lot of what makes this property so amazing comes down to the materials. All of the materials used to build the Sky House were selected for their long-lasting and low maintenance properties.
Kempster and Jamrozik have proven that you can build a home that has an interesting design with a spacious layout, that is also energy efficient and sustainable.
Images courtesy of Doublespace Photography / Coryn Kempster – Julia Jamrozik
