An extremely narrow and challenge flood impacted site along Squamish’s Mamquam river blind channel, this caretaker cottage is intended to provide housing as well as support smaller interactive, interpretive and public gather events on the site. As part of the design constraints, the building needs to be remotely constructed and removable in the future should the District construct a sea dyke along the frontage, so a strategy of Mass Timber shell and embedded steel lifting beams allow the upper pavilion to be craned into place and relocated into the future. Weathering corten steel, galvalume metal and cedar shingles are typical materials of the industrial lined foreshore in this part of town, and we looked to design a building which equally too its cues in material and form from shed like vernacular.
