Strawbale Cottage – Lake of Bays

This beloved lakeside cottage was once cramped, inefficient, and poorly connected to its surroundings. Our design reimagined it as a year-round natural home, wrapped in strawbale insulation and finished with lime and earth plasters that bring both performance and tactile beauty.

A new two-storey lakeside addition transformed the layout, introducing indoor access to the lower level and connecting all living spaces to lake views. We installed a new trussed roof over the old and new structures, achieving generous ceiling heights and architectural unity.

The home’s strawbale envelope minimizes heating needs, while a rammed earth basement floor replaces concrete for natural thermal mass. Combined with passive solar orientation, the home now approaches Passive House performance at only 20 kWh/m²a.

A wood stove integrated with the hot water and radiant heating system ensures year-round comfort. Guided successfully through zoning approvals, the result is a warm, resilient cottage that lives lightly on its site — proof that natural building can meet modern expectations for performance and beauty.

Fourth Pig / Tooketree Passive House
Mohan Navkar Engineer