Kiss-Kiss House | Lazor Office

Perched above the bedrock at the shore of a remote Canadian lake, the cedar-clad
Kennedy House takes formal cues from driftwood. The three-bedroom house, dock house,
garage, and walled vegetable garden are linked by a series of wood walkways and decks. At
the “kiss line” between two prefabricated modules, the lineal form of the house snaps like a
branch held together only by bark. The open break forms a V-shaped outdoor room facing the
water.

The walls frame a courtyard like a clearing in the forested area along the shore. While
the garage and garden doors blend into the wood, the main entry interrupts it with an
irregularly shaped sheet of glass, as though the surface has begun to tear at the kiss line.
Floor-to-ceiling, full-length glass on the lakeside façades of both modules allows each to
present a distinct, expansive view of the lake and its islands. Being inside the house feels like
floating over the water.

The organization and details of the interior living space reinforce the sense of
openness established by the glass. The kitchen counter is shifted slightly back from the glass,
a thin slab of back-cut soapstone forms a dining island, and the fireplace is transparent on
three sides. Polished teak surfaces continue from the walls and ceiling of the master
bathroom to the counter, sink, and tub. Private living spaces occupy the far ends of the
modules, where the end walls angle toward the tree canopy.