The Architecture at Point William – Oro Editions – Publishers of Architecture, Art, and Design

Architecture

The
Architecture at
Point William

The Architecture at Point William

“Our work at Point William is an evolution and an on-going investigation into the ways that design can impact and contribute to everyday life.”

This project gave us the opportunity to explore materials and design through the elements of lighting, hardware, furniture, and even boat cleats. At that time, we had only built a few things including a garden pavilion and reflect-ing pool, a house in Haliburton, and our own Laneway House in Toronto. For the boathouse we referenced the local vernacular: mahogany boats of the 1930s and the 1910 cottage on Point William with its cores and wraparound porch, as well as the Adirondack camps in upstate New York and Le Corbusier’s rustic cabin in the south of France. Gerald and Shanitha are open to the idea of life as a work of art and both are also interested in the design of all aspects of daily life. Our work at Point William is an evolution and an on-going investigation into the ways that design can impact and contribute to everyday life.

The extensive use of a boldly patterned granite, with rich tones that play off the natural shades of the walls and ceilings, is a strong move creating a symphony of color and pattern. Our relationship with Gerald and Shanitha is a special one, and it’s not the first time we’ve achieved a double portrait in a house.

What clients tell you they want and what they describe as their program is not always the same. You have to get under the skin of a client and you always need to listen carefully to the way they express themselves. Sometimes, the words articulated and what they actually mean to the client can be two different things. It’s the paradox of being an architect: people come to you for what they want and you do what you want.

“The extensive use of a boldly patterned granite, with rich tones that play off the natural shades of the walls and ceilings, is a strong move creating a symphony of color and pattern.”

Shim-Sutcliffe’s masterful work at Point William intertwines landscape and architecture with ancient rock and water reshaping and reimagining a site on the Canadian Shield over two decades. Found conditions and new buildings are interwoven and choreographed to create a rich spatial experience moving between inside and out.

Kenneth Frampton provides an insightful introduction with selected images and his own sketches framing a way of seeing Point William for the reader. Michael Webb’s provocative interview with Brigitte Shim and Howard Sutcliffe describes their evolving vision for Point William and their two-decade journey towards its realization.