London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

A Hybrid Prefab in Ontario Drinks In its Lakeside Locale

A Hybrid Prefab in Ontario Drinks In its Lakeside Locale

A prefab core cuts down on construction time while site-built additions (like a screened porch) fine-tune Fairy Lake Cottage for lakefront living.

Faced with a tricky lot that was both narrow and "unusually flat and low," Toronto–based firm Altius decided to flip this cottage’s floor plan, clustering the bedrooms on the ground floor and locating shared living spaces up top. "A potential drawback of this approach is that it can cause the living spaces to feel disconnected from the outdoors-not ideal for a cottage," says the firm.

Their solution was to place a screened-in porch, or Muskoka Room, halfway between the two levels. "In this way, the role of the Muskoka Room is extended to mediate between high and low, as well as interior and exterior," says the firm.



The 1,600-square-foot lake home has three bedrooms and two baths, and was built for a family of three. The narrow lot has views of the water on both sides, so the firm placed the living areas on the upper floor to take advantage of this, and positioned a screened-in porch (seen on the left) to mediate between the interior and exterior.



The boathouse has a green roof and corrugated metal siding.



The view of Fairy Lake from the cottage.



The stairs on the left lead up to the screened-in porch, while the door on the right accesses two bedrooms and a bath, with stairs leading up to the second-floor living spaces.

The firm took a "hybrid approach" to the cottage’s construction, first installing a prefab module to form the core of the building. The screened-in porch, high-ceilinged living room, and carport were all added on site.

"This resulted in a significantly reduced construction timeline compared with our traditionally built projects," says the firm, which has its own prefab division and construction facility. "We use the hybrid approach to a lot of our prefab projects as it allows greater flexibility in the floor plans and building dimensions while using the modules to create inexpensive floor space, which will be delivered to the site by truck or barge."



Tall glass windows in the living room frame the view.



The roof of the carport forms a deck off the second-floor living and dining rooms. The deck also accesses the incredible lake views.



A Haiku L Series ceiling fan and Stuv 30 Rotating Fireplace are ready for warm or cold weather.



An extra bedroom and bath can be found down the hall. The floors are oak, while poplar was used on the ceiling.



In the kitchen, light-colored, ash-veneer custom cabinetry is balanced with charcoal Silestone quartz counters.



The kitchen windows reveal sightlines to the water on the other side of the home, so the panoramic views afforded by the narrow lot are fully utilized.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×