De Vries House / Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects

De Vries House / Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects - Exterior PhotographyDe Vries House / Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects - Exterior Photography, Windows, FacadeDe Vries House / Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects - Exterior Photography, WindowsDe Vries House / Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects - Image 4 of 20De Vries House / Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects - More Images+ 15

Liverpool, Canada
  • Architect In Charge: Brian MacKay-Lyons, Talbot Sweetapple, Matt Malone, Will Perkins, Melissa Wakefield
  • Photographs: William Green
  • City: Liverpool
  • Country: Canada
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De Vries House / Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects - Exterior Photography, Windows
© William Green

Text description provided by the architects. This is a house for a retired writer returning to Canada from the United States with a fantastic book collection. The scheme creates an experience of living amongst his books.

De Vries House / Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects - Image 4 of 20
© William Green
De Vries House / Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects - Image 13 of 20
Ground floor plan
De Vries House / Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects - Interior Photography, Table, Windows, Chair, Countertop
© William Green

This long, galvalume-clad wedge house is sited on a cliff on Nova Scotia’s south-western Atlantic Coast. It both fits into and takes possession of the landscape. The plan addresses the human need for prospect and refuge, by contrasting a mute, protective, north service wall facing the woods, with a glazed south wall facing the sea. Large ‘bites’ are subtracted from the monolithic form to create a covered entrance and a covered terrace.

De Vries House / Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects - Interior Photography, Living Room, Table, Sofa, Windows
© William Green

The main interior feature is a long, sky-lit slot, which acts as an orientation device to connect the entry, master suite, great room, and generous second floor library. The library contains a giant south facing window that opens over the sea and a bed box for guests. One passes through the library’s shelf walls into the master bedroom, further reinforcing the feeling of refuge, after leaving the ‘prospect’ of the library.

De Vries House / Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects - Interior Photography
© William Green

The exterior bites are finished in white, channel-joint wood boards. This softens the transition between the silver envelope and the completely white interior, which invites the bold Atlantic Ocean in.

De Vries House / Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects - Image 5 of 20
© William Green

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Project location

Address:Liverpool, NS, Canada

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "De Vries House / Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects" 20 Feb 2019. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/911647/de-vries-house-mackay-lyons-sweetapple-architects> ISSN 0719-8884

© William Green

De Vries之家/ Mackay-Lyons Sweetapple 建筑事务所

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