In Sunshine Coast, BC, Canada, Vertes Retrea is a vacation home that WOVEN Architecture and Design designed for a family of four. The house sits on an L-shaped plan above a pristine lake, surrounded by an existing rocky landscape.

A flat roof hovers over the two wings of the home, providing large overhangs and covered outdoor space. The spacious ground floor contains the great rooms, while the two floors contain the entrance, media room, garage and bedrooms above. During the long, rainy winters of the Pacific Northwest, skylights extend into the circulation path of the home's wings, providing much-needed natural light to these areas.

Large glazing runs through the home's frame, carefully framing the stunning views of the lake and the rocky landscape behind it. The minimal exterior material panels, made up of cedar siding and cedar cornice, provide warmth and texture that connect the building to the surrounding cedar forest.

Inside, concrete floors, white cabinets and wooden ceilings provide a clean backdrop for clients to live on. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors, floor to floor transitions and materials that extend from interior to exterior dissolve the boundaries between inside and outside, enhancing the experience of living in nature.

At the heart of the home is the living room fireplace, a wood-burning fireplace providing heat and ambience that extends from the fireplace opening to a skylight above. The living room transitions to the covered outdoor space, while the internal skylights continue to the exterior. This space offers the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and curl up around the fire pit while staying dry. In addition, an outdoor kitchen and dining area further supports the concept of living in nature. As the name suggests, home is an ideal place to play and rest in the hustle and bustle of city life.