Cedar’s Kin | Omar Gandhi Architect

Defined by stepped forms and measured shifts, the home unfolds as a series of interconnected volumes cascading toward the water, creating a clear spatial sequence. Residents enter at the top of the hill and gradually descend through the home, moving through a layered architectural experience that engages the landscape at multiple elevations.

The residence consists of a main house alongside a series of smaller structures, including a guest cabin and a beach hut, distributing 5,000 sq ft of program area across the site. Designed using the same formal language as the central house, these outbuildings extend the project across the landscape. Each volume subtly rotates to align with existing openings in the tree canopy, framing expansive views of Lake Huron while preserving the integrity of the surrounding forest. These gentle shifts create a rhythmic composition along the slope, with each interior space forming a distinct relationship to light, trees, and water.

Large apertures capture daylight and direct attention outward, offering both filtered glimpses through branches and sweeping panoramas beyond. The result is an architecture that is at once precise and playful, adapting to the terrain while strengthening connections between inside and out. In between the volumes, open terrace spaces project into the forest line, creating a bridge between the interior and canopy.

Material choices further reinforce the project’s calm and cohesive character. The exterior is clad in eastern white cedar, while cedar soffit boards continue seamlessly into interior ceilings paired with oak millwork to create a continuous, enveloping surface.

The interiors are defined by a restrained palette of natural materials, oak millwork and soft furnishings anchor the spaces, introducing warmth and continuity throughout. In the double-height living space, the cedar-lined ceiling draws the eye upward, while vertical glazing introduces shifting patterns of light and shadow that animate the space throughout the day. A sweeping oak staircase connects the levels, guiding movement to the upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms. Soft, neutral furnishings and polished concrete floors provide contrast and tactility, allowing the richness of the wood to remain prominent.

“We chose materials that create a sense of calm and cohesion throughout the space. Inside, we grounded the rooms with oak millwork and soft furnishings, bringing warmth and a quiet sense of continuity to everything.” adds John Gray Thomson, Associate. 

Environmental sensitivity was central to the design process. Early collaboration with local conservation authorities informed the siting of the home and ensured that interventions work in harmony with the slope. Strategies for tree preservation and erosion reduction were integral, reinforcing a broader commitment to minimizing impact on the site.

“Each program volume rotates to align with existing openings in the tree canopy, framing sweeping views of Lake Huron.”  says Omar Gandhi, Founder & Partner. “Gentle shifts and variations establish a rhythm along the slope, with each interior space forming a unique relationship with the surrounding forest.”

Photography: Ema Peter Photography