Thursday, November 5, 2009
Construction Complete on Loyalist Parkway
Construction wrapped up in November 2009 on a Drive Shed for clients with property on Loyalist Parkway in Prince Edward County. The ground floor on the Drive Shed will be used for the storage of vineyard equipment, while the second floor as the vineyard offices, related administrative functions will double as a great weekend getaway in advance on the client's permanent house construction. The Drive Shed affords a terrific view of Lake Ontario, as well as a sweeping view of the vineyard on the property. The simple two storey volume hints at the character of the home to come: the metal cladding is a contemporary accent to the traditional wood siding and building style in Prince Edward County.
Labels: Our Projects
Friday, September 25, 2009
Skiff Cove Residence Begins Construction
Construction on the 2900 sf Skiff Cove House has begun. The new home overlooks Lake Ontario from atop a 20 ft high limestone cliff that runs the length of Skiff Cove in Prince Edward County. The form was derived from the client's desire to get as near to the edge as possible, while still providing protection from the crashing waves, the wind off the lake, and a private courtyard setting. The house focuses views our to the lake, and provides a second floor vantage point for the office to be used as the clients transition from their Toronto home to retire in the County.
Labels: Our Projects
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Teaming up with Plan it Right Homes
Lapointe Architects has begun working with the Holmes Group on the architectural side of a Holmes Custom Home. We are providing services through the Plan it Right program, which will be paired with the Make it Right program to deliver a high-quality green "Holmes Approved Home". "The mission of The Holmes Foundation is to ensure that residential renovation and construction is done right - the first time!" and we are pleased to team with this group dedicated to excellence. Lapointe Architects are excited by this new collaborative green relationship.
Visit the Holmes website at: makeitright.ca/Holmes_Homes/home/welcome and makeitright.ca
Visit the Holmes website at: makeitright.ca/Holmes_Homes/home/welcome and makeitright.ca
Labels: Our Projects
Friday, March 20, 2009
Fifth Town - Part Two !!
The owners of the LEED Platinum Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Factory in Picton has asked us to design and build a new pavilion on their property. The Client has confirmed that the popularity of the project and product means that at times, especially on the weekends, the facility is busting at the seams with visitors.
But this time, instead of a high-tech building we are proposing a low tech organic structure, constructed from materials left over from the factory (such as Durisol) and from raw supplies like small diameter timber, stone and straw, all from the immediate site.
The construction will be completed over several weekends with volunteer labour in a an old-fashioned 'barn raising' style of construction. This will give the participants the opportunity to learn firsthand about the materials, their installation and the methods of fastening. The construction will be directed by several skilled trades persons and Francis Lapointe, the principal of Lapointe Architects. Watch this blog for progress on the project.
Labels: Our Projects
Monday, March 9, 2009
Three County Projects Receive a Building Permit
Lapointe Architects is proud to announce that three of our projects have recently been granted a building permit by the Building Department in Prince Edward County. The three residential projects are all situated on ecologically distinct sites, but share one common feature...a view to Lake Ontario.
The first site, located just west of Wellington, is set on an 18 ft high limestone cliff containing fossils and overlooking Sandbanks Provincial Park.
The first site, located just west of Wellington, is set on an 18 ft high limestone cliff containing fossils and overlooking Sandbanks Provincial Park.
The second site, a 22 acre waterfront lot contains seven distinct ecosystems (including two ponds, a gravel beach, a wetland, a hardwood and a softwood forest, a field and an escapement). Through a series of paths and visual cues, the dwelling is to be linked to the site to encourage interaction with the property’s distinct eco-systems.
The third site, a 77 acre agricultural lot that includes productive agricultural fields, a forest and a working vineyard is the setting for Collection House a collection of volumes designed to house a collection of books for two university profs.
The third site, a 77 acre agricultural lot that includes productive agricultural fields, a forest and a working vineyard is the setting for Collection House a collection of volumes designed to house a collection of books for two university profs.
Stay tune for more information on these projects as construction progresses.
Labels: Our Projects
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Lapointe Architect selected for Twenty + Change
Lapointe Architect has been selected to exhibit our work at the Twenty + Change exhibition, opening in Toronto on June 3, 2009, in conjunction with the City of Toronto's Festival of Architecture and Design. Twenty + Change is an annual exhibition series "dedicated to profiling emerging designers working in architecture, landscape and urban design." The exhibition is scheduled to travel across Canada after closing in Toronto. For more information about the exhibition, please see http://www.twentyandchange.org/index.html. For more information about the Gladstone Hotel, please see http://www.gladstonehotel.com/.
Pictured above is the Kickinghorse House in Golden BC (images by Dave Best, Best Impressions).
Labels: Our Projects
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Lake Simcoe House ready for move in!
The stone and timber house is set on a peninsula in Cooks Bay, at the south end of Lake Simcoe. The house includes a 4,000 sq/ft , 9ft high unfinished basement, a three-car garage, a two-bedroom nanny's quarters complete with juliette balcony and two lake facing glazed sun rooms. There is more than 3,000 sq/ft of unfinished attic space, which has a headroom of 16 ft! The Owners plan to move into their waterfront home over the next few weeks, after the contractor completes a small list of outstanding items.
Labels: Our Projects
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Golden House Rising!
The timber frame of the Golden House was delivered a few days ago, and should be assembled within a week. The Douglas Fir beams will form the roof of the house are supported on 2 1/2 storey tall triple round columns. The Golden House is located in the Kickinghorse Resort in British Columbia. The Owners will enjoy an excellent view of the magestic rockies from their master bedroom window, while the remainder of the rooms overlook a broad valley
below.
Labels: Our Projects
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Installation of stone begins at Blyth Dale House
The installation of the exterior stone cladding has begun at Blyth Dale House. The stone veneer selected for the project is the blue-grey Adair limestone, both in a fine-dressed and split faced finish. The natural stone is manufactured by Arriscraft International(www.arriscraft.com) and is extracted from their Georgian Bay quarry . The stone cladding will be complemented by a 2" thick spanish cedar wood siding, copper soffits and fascias, as well as a cement-board slate-like panel manufactured by 'Superpanel' (www.superpanel.ca). Stay tuned for updated construction photographs.
Labels: Blythdale House, Our Projects
Monday, June 11, 2007
Chuckery House Preliminary Design Completed
The schematic design for Chuckery House in Prince Edward County is underway. The four-storey, 2300 sf house is located on a steep triangular lot overlooking the Bay of Quinte to the north and Lake on the Mountain to the south. The wood and corrugated metal tower is anchored to the deep limestone cliffs forming the slopes of the hill. This allows the occupants to experience a different view from every floor, sometimes looking down onto the forest canopy while at other times looking thru the forest itself. The driveway, located on the top of the hill on the south side, gives way to a forest path leading directly to a galvanized steel 'draw bridge'. The working 'drawbridge' provides access to the main floor (3rd level) which is surrounded on the west and north by a spectacular cantilevered deck overlooking the valley and Bay of Quinte below.
The clients hope to incorporate several sustainable features into the project, including a ground source heat pump, a rain water cistern, photovoltaic panels, recycled and reclaimed construction materials and a unique hot water fireplace.
Lapointe Architects will be spending the next few months completing the design development for the project, and construction is slated to start in 18 months, once all approvals are obtained.
The clients hope to incorporate several sustainable features into the project, including a ground source heat pump, a rain water cistern, photovoltaic panels, recycled and reclaimed construction materials and a unique hot water fireplace.
Lapointe Architects will be spending the next few months completing the design development for the project, and construction is slated to start in 18 months, once all approvals are obtained.
Labels: Our Projects
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Construction on Kicking Horse House begins
Construction on the 3500 sf Kickinghorse house has begun. The ski cottage is located in a mountain resort near Golden B.C. ans its unique form is derived from its setting on a steep slope. The douglas-fir timber structure will be clad in wood siding and stone, and topped with a steep galvalumed roof . The front door is reached via a galvanized metal bridge that allows users to 'kick-off' the snow that has accumulated on their boots prior to reaching the front door. A large 2-level cedar deck surrounds the house on the east and south side.Labels: Our Projects
Monday, April 30, 2007
Stone Cladding on Lake Simcoe House looks fantastic!
The stone cladding on the Lake Simcoe timber house is advancing quickly. The stone is a combination of Arriscraft stones, cut and broken, and interspersed with several other coloured stones to similate a rustic stone house appearance. The combination of the stone and the fir timber and trim provides a rich palette of materials and colours.
Labels: Our Projects
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Fifth Town Project is issued for Tender
The Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Factory has finally been issued for Tender! The pre-qualified bidders are limited to Knudsen Construction from Belleville, Mirtren Construction from Trenton and Peak Construction from Brighton. Bids must be received by May 16th. Sub-trades are invited to contact the above bidders directly. The owners hope to award the contract by mid-May, and construction should start shortly thereafter.
Labels: Our Projects
Friday, April 13, 2007
Fifthtown Cheese Factory
Construction documents for the Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Factory (http://www.fifthtown.ca/) will be issued for Tender in mid-April 2007 with construction slated to start in mid-May.
We have spent the past six months reexamining alternative energy generation systems including wind, solar photovoltaic, solar hot water, geo-thermal, and bio-mass. We are also exploring the possibility of creating a naturalized wetland to dispose of the waste whey in an environmentally-friendly way. We are currently finalizing details of the chosen systems. What has made all of this possible is the development of a green-energy financing model between Fifth Town and Zero-Footprint (http://www.zerofootprint.ca/).
During this period, we also completed several minor revisions to the building, such as the doubling in floor area of the underground cheese aging caves and the addition of 24" to the height of the truck wash bay to allow for the addition of steam to the process equipment.
Some exterior materials have also been revised. The retaining wall next to the shipping area has been changed to a gabion wall, which is comprissed of galvanized steel cages filled with large local stones. The cladding of the truck wash bay has been changed to a German cement board product called SuperPanel, which is more durable, recycled and more economical.
In addition, we are designing a free-form canvas structure to help protect the south-facing courtyard.
A new rendering is being prepared and should be available in a few weeks. Check back then!
Labels: Our Projects
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Blythdale House Progresses on Schedule
Construction on our new project, Blythdale House, is proceeding on schedule. The exterior finished will include copper, ArrisCraft honed and split-face stone, and thick Spanish cedar siding on the cantilevered mud room section. A wonderful alternative to stucco has been found for the north and east elevations. We will be using a flint-coloured cement-board panel known as SuperPanel (www.engineeredassemblies.com). The product will have the appearance of large sheets of slate.
We have also recently completed the lighting design for the interior and exterior of the house. Low-voltage energy-efficient LED lights will be used to light the interior courtyard and glass guards while the exterior facade and 2nd floor canopy will be lit with a combination of ground lighting and uplighting. The results promise to be spectacular.
We have also recently completed the lighting design for the interior and exterior of the house. Low-voltage energy-efficient LED lights will be used to light the interior courtyard and glass guards while the exterior facade and 2nd floor canopy will be lit with a combination of ground lighting and uplighting. The results promise to be spectacular.
Finally, we are negotiating with Solera (www.soleraenergies.com) to supply and install both Photovoltaic and hydronic solar panels.
Labels: Blythdale House, Our Projects
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