LONGHOUSE

RURAL MODERN

by SOMA Studio

"There's a sense of calmness about it. The whole focus of the house is living on the landscape"

- Carolyn Ireland, The Globe and Mail

After more than 25 years of designing and building residential homes and interiors in Toronto, we were excited by the idea of developing a series of private Rural Modern residences for SOMA Studio. These would be all-season country houses with waterfront acreage, spaces in tune with the landscape and the natural environment. A place to unwind with family and friends. LONGHOUSE was the first to be completed. Now under construction is RIVERHOUSE, our second Rural Modern residence. RIVERHOUSE is sited on 11 acres and has over 500ft of frontage on the Napanee River with a conservation area on the opposite shore.

- Andrew Fee / Linda Corbett - SOMA Studio

At the end of a tree-lined drive in a private meadow on the Napanee River, sits LONGHOUSE.

The six-and-a-half acre property is bordered by century-old Maple and Bur Oak trees and traversed by a stream and natural spring that cascades over limestone boulders to the river below. Across the water is the Cataraqui Trial Conservation Area.

LONGHOUSE, was the first Rural Modern Residence designed and built by Andrew Fee_SOMA Studio.

"Classics outlive trends enriching their patina over time."

Andrew Fee's design for LONGHOUSE was inspired by the vernacular architecture of barns and historical limestone structures surrounding Kingston, Ontario (the Limestone City) and the steeply pitched steel roofs of rural Quebec angled to remove the snow load of Canadian winters.

It's sleek contemporary silhouette incorporates traditional stone masonry, a timber frame main structure, 22 gauge standing seam steel roof, Maibec spruce wood siding and metal-clad exterior Douglas Fir windows from Loewen.

LONGHOUSE_PHASE 1

By 2022 Phase 1 of the build was complete, comprising 4,828sf of living space on three levels. On the Main Level, the 30ft. x 50ft. timber frame has a 35ft high peaked ceiling, a flat roof Entryway and a Primary Suite with a 16ft cathedral ceiling. The third level has a Loft and Gallery overlooking the Main Level. Landscape features include a River Porch viewing area cantilevered over the Napanee River and a timber frame Garage with steel roof for two cars.

LONGHOUSE PHASE 2

In June of 2022, LONGHOUSE became the home of a new family intent on carrying on the legacy of this unique property. The new owners approached Andrew Fee with a commission to design and build an extension to the existing house that retained the same quality and design aesthetic. The new addition is a 2070/sf structure housing a 850/sf garage for two electric vehicles with a 720/sf Guest Suite and Ensuite Bathroom above attached to the main house through a 500/sf enclosed walkway.

PHASE 2 - Building the Extension

THE BUILD

The build began with an engineered timber frame Main Structure which was custom built in a shop. There, joints were cut, fitted and pegged for maximum strength. The building elements were then assembled and raised onsite upon an Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) foundation.

Raising the Timber Frame.

*Shop build of the engineered timber frame structure*

*Shop build of the engineered timber frame structure*

*Assembling the structure piece by piece.*

*Assembling the structure piece by piece.*

Skids of limestone block were hand-picked from a local Kingston quarry. The blocks were individually cut in the quarry cutting shop to create the traditional "ashlar" rough-hewn face.

A team of stone masons from Upper Canada Stone House Group meticulously trimmed and hand fit each stone, wrapping both the entire building foundation and the massive chimney. On the west side of the house they built a freestanding feature "window wall" with a 200 pound lintel above.

*Rideauview Contracts Stone Cutting Shop*

*Rideauview Contracts Stone Cutting Shop*

*Mason from Upper Canada Stone House Group builds the feature Window Wall*

*Mason from Upper Canada Stone House Group builds the feature Window Wall*

LONGHOUSE exterior cladding features a custom steel roof, formed from 22 gauge steel to produce a standing seam finish. Inside the house the floors are custom-laid Italian porcelain, and the staircases are hand-made red oak. Cabinetry was custom made and fitted onsite by SOMA Studio's sister company BRONZINO Handmade specifically for the project. The doors are solid core with ball bearing hinges and stainless steel passage hardware.