A modern, two-story house with a light-colored vertical wood exterior, metal roof, and a large backyard patio with a pergola structure, seating, and potted plants.

R House

R House is a quiet rural residence nestled within a forested outcropping in Northern Ontario. Thoughtfully placed to protect the site’s wetlands and preserve the natural paths travelled by deer, moose, foxes, bears, and rabbits, the home settles gently into the landscape, embracing the rhythms of the natural world.

Rooted in Passive House principles, the home features a high-performance envelope with continuous insulation, triple-pane windows, and a fully ducted air source heat pump system that supports healthy indoor air quality. Durable, low-emission materials were chosen with regional sourcing in mind, including locally harvested Eastern White Cedar cladding and polished concrete floors that provide thermal mass and a quietly elegant finish.

Following an elongated east–west axis, the design maximizes passive solar gain on its south-facing facade and captures the shifting light of each day. Morning sun fills the kitchen and bedrooms, while the living spaces bask in the warm glow of the setting sun. The north side features limited glazing that shields the home from cold winds, enhancing comfort and energy efficiency.

Designed by poliarchitecture Inc. and built by polibuild Inc., this two-storey slab-on-grade home, completed in 2024, reflects refined craftsmanship and thoughtful details that create spaces both elevated and inviting, while ensuring a healthy home for a growing family.

A modern, minimalist light-colored wooden house with large glass doors, small windows, and a gravel pathway in front. A large tree with green needles partially obscures the house, and a person with a backpack walks past.
Open-concept living and dining area with large windows, wooden dining table with chairs, and a kitchen in the background. A small child is blurred near a coat rack with a hat hanging on it.
Interior of a modern, minimalistic dining and living room with large windows, a wooden dining table with chairs, a white sofa, wall-mounted TV, and decorative items.
Modern kitchen with white cabinets and a marble backsplash, kitchen appliances, plants on the windowsill, and a bowl of fruit on the counter near a large window showing a wooded outdoor scene.
Modern bathroom with a sink, mirror, and a walk-in shower with a glass door, featuring a window and neutral-colored tiles.
Interior view of a staircase with wooden steps and small square LED lights embedded in the wall alongside the stairs, with two windows illuminating the space from above.

Fun fact: This house has no gas connection—it’s fully electric —and only costs an average of $175/month for all utilities, proving that low operating costs and sustainable living are possible in cold climates like Sudbury.

Modern black and wood cabin named Berg Cabin surrounded by trees.

Twin Cabins

Perched on the exposed granite of Little Lake Panache, Berg and Rift are two minimal, dark, and elemental off-grid cabins designed as simple geometric forms that integrate with the rocky Northern Ontario landscape. Influenced by mid-century modern and Scandinavian design, they reflect the vision of two creative clients who sought a place for their extended family to cook, create, and spend time together in nature.

From the outset, the design was shaped by a strong respect for the land and a commitment to simplicity, sustainability, and low-impact construction. The buildings step naturally with the terrain, connected by elevated pathways that preserve the existing forest and allow seamless movement across the site with minimal disruption.

Clad in Shou Sugi Ban, the blackened wood unifies the cabins and helps them recede into the forest, reinforcing their emergence from the rocky terrain. The project prioritizes sustainability and off-grid living, featuring high-performance envelopes with increased insulation, passive solar strategies, and southern-facing rooflines shaped for future photovoltaic panels to support full off-grid operation.

Interior spaces are modest and efficient, with large windows framing lake and forest views. The design emphasizes comfort, durability, and a quiet connection to the landscape, offering a contemporary retreat with a light environmental footprint.

Architectural floor plan of a multi-unit residential building with interior rooms and outdoor spaces.

Floor Plan

Modern black wooden houses on a hillside surrounded by tall trees, with a cloudy sky above.
Modern black wooden house elevated on stilts situated on a hillside, surrounded by tall trees and natural landscape.
Modern black wooden house on a hillside surrounded by trees with a distant body of water.
Aerial view of a coastline with trees and two modern dark-colored houses on a sloped terrain, near the water.
Modern black house on a hill surrounded by trees, with a large outdoor deck and mountain landscape in the background.