Sliding House

Architect Brian Mackay-Lyons Creates Home on a Sliding Scale

Dramatic but simple, this house's smart design principles and off-kilter scale and proportions make for an interesting stay. Co-existing nicely into the environment, the home's angular placement allows for an appreciation of both design and nature.

Positioned along the coast of Upper Kingsburg in Nova Scotia, this striking and unusual home has all the cool design credibility but remains very simple and livable. 

Aptly named, the house was commissioned by creative directors David Peters and Rhonda Rubinstein and designed by Kingsburg resident and renowned architect Brian Mackay-Lyons. Featured in the Phaidon Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture, the San Francisco Chronicle and more, the home has also been the subject of a celebrated photo essay by Jean-Luc Laloux.

The cool geometric lines and industrial materials of the exterior give way to warm and inviting interiors of sleek polished wood and windows calibrated to capture the panoramic views and natural light.  Bright, refined and minimal, the cool simplicity combines the kitchen and dining on the main floor with the master bedroom in the loft, plus a double bedroom on the lower level.

Combining refinement and raw natural beauty, this home offers the chance to experience nature while staying in a unique, architecturally acclaimed retreat by the sea.  

Around

The Kingsburg Peninsula is very isolated, but there are plenty of diversions within reasonable reach - Mahone Bay, with its 460 or so islands, the little towns of Chester and Bridgewater, a little fishing village called Bluerocks, and the UNESCO World Heritage Town of Lunenberg.

Across the water are the LaHave Islands, which can be reached by kayak. Halifax is 1 1/4 hours away, and Cape Breton is slightly farther. There are folk art and music festivals in the nearby village. There is no public transport, and a car is recommended.

Location

Upper Kingsburg, Nova Scotia. Nearest airport: Halifax Stanfield International Airport (127km)

Best time to visit

All of the seasons are great, but fall and off-season are two of the best, with the mildest climate on the south shore of Nova Scotia, east of Vancouver.