North Shore Barn

North Shore Barn is located along a densely settled stretch of Nova Scotia coastline historically shaped by small cottages, agricultural outbuildings, and working rural landscapes. Designed for clients transitioning from a seasonal cottage to a year-round home, the project reinterprets the familiar barn form as a compact contemporary dwelling rooted in the site’s rural character.

The house is organized as a simple gabled volume clad in cedar shingles and a galvanized metal roof, materials drawn from Atlantic Canadian agricultural traditions. Black-stained wood insertions mark the entry and frame the second-floor dormer, creating moments of contrast within the otherwise restrained massing. The dormer houses an intimate den with framed views to the Northumberland Strait.

The compact plan contains three bedrooms, including two accessible ground-floor bedrooms that support aging in place, while a third bedroom is tucked beneath the roof above. Double-height living and dining spaces occupy the centre of the house, reinforcing the simple volumetric character of the barn form.

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