Lakeside Architecture Inc., an architecture firm that specializes in luxury, custom cottages, explains how the right architect can help you maximize your enjoyment — and your return on investment — for your cottage
For many Canadians, owning a cottage and being able to get away from it all is a dream that’s woven into our cultural fabric. But without the right design and technical support, that dream can quickly become a nightmare. When it comes to building or renovating the luxury cottage of your dreams, Lakeside Architecture has the experience — both practical and project-wise — to help you successfully design your dream and make it a built reality.
James Pitropov, the principal architect states: “Foremost as an architect but also as a cottager, boater and lover of northern lakes, I seek to understand how our clients spend their cottage time, their design preferences, who they spend cottage time with and the special relationship they have with the lake they are on. Different clients have differing visions and needs. I try to meet them on the level they are at. Of course, I have had the privilege and experience to having seen so many versions of what can constitute the “Good Cottage Life” that I try to bring a little extra perspective to the owner’s design intuition.”
For large-scale, luxury projects, hiring an architect just makes sense to help you develop and realize the vision you may already have.
“The advantage of hiring an architect is that you get your custom design optimised to your particular site and lifestyle as well as the needs of your family members and even regular guests!” Pitropov explained. “The plan can be custom designed to take advantage of the site, to maximize the site, sunlight, wind direction and hide bad views or embrace good views.”
A good cottage architect doesn’t just augment the positives; they can help to minimize the impact of any less-than-ideal parts of the location by careful layout and orientation of the cottage as well as accessory structures such as bunkies, garages, sheds and even boathouses.
“Generally, you can really benefit from hiring an architect when you have a challenging site with physical constraints — a steep lot or high-water table, floodplain — you have a lot of setbacks or restrictions and you want to maximize the potential of your site,” Pitropov said. These physical limits often generate the most interesting designs.
Pitropov added the biggest mistakes potential customers make revolve around having unrealistic budget and timeline expectations.
“We have potential clients expect a 5,000-square-foot cottage for the cost of a 1,200-square-foot cottage and they want the whole thing done by the summer,” he said, adding that it is important to understand costs and that a variety of factors — environmental and legislative — can slow down the process. It is helpful to have frank and practical discussions with your architect early in the design process so that you can develop the best design for your ambitions as well as a realistic budget. Pitropov says this is the starting point for great projects.
“There are snow conditions and half load restrictions on roads until the spring in most areas, so building can be difficult (although not impossible) at those times,” Pitropov explained. “Often you need to blast a site or clear a new road for the heavy trucks so there is planning to do before you even finish the design.” Timing and scheduling become key logistics that affect budget for this type of reason.
He added cottage owners need to be hands-on and involved in the process. The more you know about the lake you are considering building on, design options, costs and scheduling as well as realities of construction in cottage country, the more likely you’ll be able to take your vision and develop the best design for the cottage of your dreams.
“A critical error is not really getting to know your site or current cottage before you build or renovate,” he said. “We have clients who bought older cottages during the pandemic, then tearing them down and building new without ever having stayed in the original cottage. They don’t know where the best place to enjoy the outdoors at various times of the day and year. Where the sun is at its peak, without the wind or a breezy side porch devoid of mosquitoes; new owners that haven’t figured out the best place to descend to the dock, as they have never been there in the summer; they miss out on developing the basic knowledge of the septic systems, water wells and pumps that can inform future decisions on cottage systems. Sometimes understanding what made the original traditional cottage function for so long for a family; plenty of more modest bedrooms, bigger grand space, wrap-around porches, screened Muskoka Rooms and breezeways as well as exterior decks and lakeside docks helps a client understand key components in cottages designed for real life.
“These are the design details you can perfect with an architect that help you develop a good design into one that is special or even spectacular.” Pitropov confidently advises!
Please Call Us Today to discuss your cottage project.