UP FRONT
Defined Design Grotto at Bernyk Island by Amanda Koellner
When architecture and design firm Partisans was commissioned to build a free-standing structure that not only respected but also matured from its contextual surroundings—a serene landscape along the blue waters of Lake Huron outside of Toronto—they had to take into account the prehistoric largescale rock formation on which they were instructed to build. Here, we choose three words to explain just how the team used cutting-edge software and fabrication technology to create an environmentally friendly grotto sauna that pays homage to the area’s extremities in the form of an architectural experience. gb&d
Prefabricate \(ˌ)prē-ˈfa-bri-ˌkāt\ (verb) To fabricate parts at a factory so that construction consists mainly of assembling and uniting standardized parts. In partnership with MCM Inc., Partisans developed original fabrication techniques to design the sculptural wood components that would emulate the walls of a “grotto.” The team rewrote the software code that Mastercam would eventually use to mill the sculptural wood, using state-of-the-art 3D technology to scan, model, and build the Grotto in Ontario (all the while using double and triple glazed high efficiency annealed glass to ensure high-energy savings and durability).
Context \ˈkän-ˌtekst\ (noun) The situation in which something happens. Inspired by an Italian grotto, the client behind this dreamy retreat on the northwest edge of an island on the Georgian Bay wanted the architecture to tell a story of escape and refuge. The design team created an exterior crafted from charred cedar, which conveys a weathered appearance—“as if the building has been hidden in plain sight for centuries.” The curved interior also is meant to emulate Lake Huron’s waves, while the interior cedar panels were reclaimed from local forests.
20
may–june 2015
gbdmagazine.com