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Contemporary timber cabin doubles as a lookout tower with dramatic island views

With views as fabulous as those on Cape Breton, you’d be remiss to own a home that doesn’t take advantage of those dramatic vistas.

That’s why Omar Gandhi and Design Base 8 designed the Rabbit Snare Gorge Cabin, a home for a pair of nature-lovers that doubles as an observation tower. Clad in cedar, the three-story home is punctuated by large windows oriented for the best views. Located on the coast of rural Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, the Rabbit Snare Gorge Cabin sits high on the rugged windswept landscape of Inverness. The architects designed the modern cabin as a summer getaway—the region is renowned for its pleasantly warm summers—for clients on the path to retirement. The cedar-clad, compact building draws inspiration from the traditional gable roof and dormer, but is elongated in height to take advantage of landscape views.

The locations of the large and small windows that punctuate the home are informed by a solar path study that follows the sun’s rise and set over the Northumberland Strait. The home is entered through a seven-meter-tall “entry hoop” made of weathering steel that doubles as a windbreak. The interior is clad in birch plywood and houses the bedroom and bath on the ground level. In contrast to the mostly enclosed ground floor, the second and third floors with the communal living areas boast full-height windows with panoramic views. The clients also have plans to commission a viewing platform by the shore in the future.

Contemporary timber cabin doubles as a lookout tower with dramatic island views

Details

  • Nova Scotia, Canada
  • Design Base 8