A special house for a special place

When Jason Smirnis and David Jensen, architects and co-founders of Building Arts Architects in Toronto, embarked on designing a new cottage on Kawagama Lake, north of the city, they had a strong incentive to get everything just right. For starters, they were their own clients, co-owning the property with plans to sell it later this year. More significantly, their building lot sat just down the lake from Mr. Smirnis’s own summer home, which he had owned for 10 years. “It’s a very special place to me,” he said.

Kawagama Lake is the largest lake in Haliburton County, in the Algonquin Highlands west of Algonquin Park. Its topography is similar to the nearby Muskokas, characterized by granite shores, pine-covered islands and arcing bays that flow into creeks and rivers. However, it differs in its tranquillity. “There are noticeably fewer cottages here,” noted Mr. Smirnis. “We didn’t want to wreck the place.”