The homeowners here wanted a low-maintenance sustainable cladding solution. They opted for slatted cedar siding system. See why.
“The backdrop of Western Red Cedar in both vertical and horizontal lengths looks beautiful in all four seasons.” – Andrew Noseworthy, homeowner
Project: The Monocular
Location: Chester Basin, Nova Scotia
Architect: Rayleen Hill, RHAD Architects
Photography: Julian Parkinson, Format Films
Nestled in the heart of Nova Scotia’s south shore, this gorgeous weekend home is perched high on a hill, away from the water’s edge giving it sweeping views of the saltwater basin. The lower floor of the main house is a simple open concept with a living, dining and kitchen area. The upper floor contains three bedrooms and two bathrooms. There’s also a guest bunkie connected by a covered walkway.
Blending with the Landscape
The entire project is clad in vertical and horizontal Western Red Cedar siding and slats. In addition to being a top-performing building material that can stand up to the sometimes harsh Atlantic climate, Real Cedar met two of the clients’ main goals: make it low maintenance and energy efficient. Ergo, an obvious choice for lead architect, Rayleen Hill.
“Western Red Cedar provides a natural look that blends with the landscape that surrounds the area,” explains Hill. “Cedar is also readily available in our area. It has low embodied energy and acts as a carbon store, making for a good cladding source. It’s also a natural material and will minimize waste at its end of life.”
Beautifully Lit from Within
One of the standout features is the two-storey, cedar, outdoor shower. The other is the slatted cedar cladding over the screen porch area that provides a beautiful lantern effect when looking up at the house from the basin.
Low Maintenance Siding
Adding to the warmth and texture of these two elements is the beautiful knotty grade of cedar, which the clients opted to leave unfinished so the wood could gray naturally.
“In the setting, we wanted a natural finish to flow with the buildings’ shape and require minimal future maintenance,” explains homeowner Andrew Noseworthy. “As the product has aged over the first two years, it still has unique colors with each board having its own characteristics.”
WRC Specifications
Grade: KD Select Knotty
Size: 1×8
Fastening: Stainless steel siding nails
Applied Finish: None
Western Red Cedar Supplier: GoodFellow