The House in Frogs Hollow, a 2000sf country retreat, is located on a long slope of the Niagara Escarpment overlooking Georgian Bay. The property is a collection of eroded clay hills and protected watershed zones blanketed with a dense field of hawthorn and native grasses.  It is not picturesque, but tough and impenetrable.

The clients, who gather at the property throughout the year, are avid cyclists who spent months on the 100 acre property prior to construction cutting in discreet mountain biking trails and learning the paths of the horses and snowmobiles as they emerge from the community over the seasons.  Because of their connection to the landscape, a primary site strategy was to resist the inclination to build on top of the hills where one could survey the property in its entirety and instead carve out a building area at the base of the hillside.  The house is not the final destination, but a stopping place within their network of activity.

Williamson Williamson Inc., House in Frogs Hollow, Grey Highlands, Ontario, CANADA, Williamson Williamson
VIEW OF THE SECOND FLOOR FAMILY ROOM WALKOUT TO THE LANDSCAPE
Williamson Williamson Inc., House in Frogs Hollow, Grey Highlands, Ontario, CANADA, Williamson Williamson
VIEW OF THE APPROACH TO THE HOUSE FROM THE PRIVATE DRIVE

Carved into the landscape, the muscular tectonic of the long concrete wall figuratively clears the site for building while bridging the natural and tempered environments. 

Williamson Williamson Inc., House in Frogs Hollow, Grey Highlands, Ontario, CANADA, Williamson Williamson
THE NORTH FACING PATIO IS PROTECTED FROM THE PREVAILING WINDS AND DOUBLES THE LIVING SPACE DURING THREE SEASONS
Williamson Williamson Inc., House in Frogs Hollow, Grey Highlands, Ontario, CANADA, Williamson Williamson
VIEW OF THE LIVING SPACE AND THE LANDSCAPE BEYOND

The concrete has a toughness that mirrors the landscape, providing protection from the prevailing winter winds.  During the summer months the wall provides patio shade, creating pools of cooler air that are passively drawn through the house.

Entry is at the west end of the concrete wall and into a service bar containing the stair, kitchen, office, bike workshop, storage room, and mechanical room.  This functional zone serves as a backdrop to the glassed in living area that opens on three sides to an extended view of the rolling landscape.

Williamson Williamson Inc., House in Frogs Hollow, Grey Highlands, Ontario, CANADA, Williamson Williamson
DETAIL VIEW OF THE FIREPLACE AND BENCH WITH MAHARAM FABRIC CUSHION
Williamson Williamson Inc., House in Frogs Hollow, Grey Highlands, Ontario, CANADA, Williamson Williamson
SUNLIGHT CREATES A SHADOW PATTERN ON THE MILLED PROFILE STAIR

The second level hovers above the concrete wall and living space.  It contains the bedrooms, bathrooms, and family room in a tight wrapper of customized shiplap siding.  Designed as an undulating rhythm of varying widths, thin boards are CNC milled to a shallow depth while wider boards are milled with deep striations, casting long shadows that track the sun as it moves around the house. The siding is stained with a linseed oil based iron oxide pigment that requires reapplication only once every 15 years. 

Williamson Williamson Inc., House in Frogs Hollow, Grey Highlands, Ontario, CANADA, Williamson Williamson
FRESH AIR VENTS WERE MILLED BY CALCULATING THE AREA REQUIRED AND DISTRIBUTING IT ACROSS A FIELD

The first and second floors are connected by a figured stair enclosure.  This digitally fabricated element is designed to filter light from the clerestory volume above.  At the ground floor it carves into the area below its upper run to gather more space at the entry and allow for a seating area.

Williamson Williamson Inc., House in Frogs Hollow, Grey Highlands, Ontario, CANADA, Williamson Williamson
THE MILLED SIDING VOLUME SKIMS OVER THE TOP OF THE CONCRETE ENTRY WALL
Williamson Williamson Inc., House in Frogs Hollow, Grey Highlands, Ontario, CANADA, Williamson Williamson
DETAIL VIEW OF CNC MILLED SIDING

The house’s connection to the land is reinforced not only in its architectural form, but also in its environmental footprint.  The house is heated with radiant floor loops that supplement the passive winter heat gain from south facing windows.  In addition, there is no mechanical cooling.  Instead, the stair tower and operable windows facilitate passive ventilation that draws cool air through the house from shaded exterior areas.  Natural materials and pigments were used throughout and a small square footage was maintained to further reduce construction costs and keep future energy consumption to a minimum.

 
Williamson Williamson Inc., House in Frogs Hollow, Grey Highlands, Ontario, CANADA, Williamson Williamson
VIEW OF THE ENTRY CONDITION SHOWING THE CONCRETE WALL AND THE MILLED SIDING BOX ABOVE

Plans & model

Williamson Williamson Inc., House in Frogs Hollow, Grey Highlands, Ontario, CANADA, Williamson Williamson 

Williamson Williamson Inc., House in Frogs Hollow, Grey Highlands, Ontario, CANADA, Williamson Williamson
GROUND FLOOR
Williamson Williamson Inc., House in Frogs Hollow, Grey Highlands, Ontario, CANADA, Williamson Williamson
SECOND FLOOR
Williamson Williamson Inc., House in Frogs Hollow, Grey Highlands, Ontario, CANADA, Williamson Williamson
SECTION
Williamson Williamson Inc., House in Frogs Hollow, Grey Highlands, Ontario, CANADA, Williamson Williamson
SITE MODEL SHOWING THE HOUSE NESTLED INTO THE HILLSIDE

Facts & Credits
Project title: House in Frogs Hollow 
Architecture: Williamson Williamson Inc.
Location: Grey Highlands, Ontario, CANADA
Total Floor Area:  2000 sf

Design Team
Betsy Williamson, Partner, Shane Williamson, Partner
Kelly Doran, Maya Przybylski
Structural Engineering:  Blackwell Bowick Partnership Ltd.
Construction Management:  Wilson Project Management Inc.
Millwork:  Speke Klein Inc.
Siding Fabrication:
Tomek Bartczak, Gavin Berman, Peter Odegaard
Taryn Sheppard, Byron White
Stair Fabrication: Byron White, Jeff Powers

Photography: Bob Gundu


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