Project Name: Manitouwaba Lake House

Location: Seguin, Ontario, Canada

Design Team: Daymark

Total Floor Area: 2610 ft²

Completion: 2025

Photography: Adrian Ozimek

Feature: For a young couple with three children, building a cottage on Manitouwaba Lake was about more than a getaway. It was about continuing a family story. The new retreat would sit beside the parents' legacy cottage in Seguin, and by merging two properties into one, the family created a site large enough to hold both heritage and future.

When Daymark was brought in, the design challenge was clear: how to create a modern family cottage that embraced the gradual slope of the land, maximized lakefront views, and felt naturally integrated into the wooded site. Rather than imposing architecture onto the land, Daymark used the site itself as the generator for the design.

The solution was a low-lying composition of stepped building blocks, stretched across the terrain in rhythm with the slope. Clad in black timber, the elongated volumes sit confidently at the water's edge while remaining sensitive to the treed backdrop. By accentuating the site's gradual elevation change, Daymark transformed a simple slope into the defining character of the cottage.

Inside, the plan is both practical and poetic. Public spaces, including the kitchen, dining, living, office, and primary suite, are all oriented to dramatic lake views, anchoring daily life in connection to the water. Private bedrooms, bathrooms, and utility areas are tucked discreetly into the landscape, with quiet outlooks into the forest.

A hallmark of Daymark's design language, a glazed link connects each mass, creating a dynamic procession of framed vistas and natural light. Walking through the cottage becomes a journey, with the lake revealed and re-revealed at every turn.

The result is a modern lakefront cottage designed for family life, playful yet refined, bold yet balanced. What began as two parcels of land became a unified retreat, where architecture, landscape, and family legacy align. Daymark's thoughtful approach turned a gradual slope into an architectural narrative, proving that true design innovation comes not from overpowering a site, but from amplifying its quiet strengths.

Design Team: Founded in 2016 and based in Midland, Ontario, Daymark Design Incorporated has established itself as a distinguished residential architecture practice specializing in contemporary design that harmonizes with the Canadian landscape. Under the leadership of Founding Principal Adrian Worton, an architect with 20 years of experience, the firm has cultivated a reputation for creating minimal yet sophisticated spaces that respond sensitively to their natural contexts.

Daymark's design philosophy centers on site-specific solutions that merge modern forms with traditional building techniques, utilizing natural materials to create residences that embody a profound sense of place. The practice draws inspiration from diverse Canadian landscapes, from the rustic terrain of Northern Ontario to the windswept Atlantic coastline, translating regional character into refined architectural expressions. Adrian Worton's distinguished portfolio includes contributions to award-winning projects such as Nathan Phillips Square, recipient of the Governor General's Medal in Architecture, and the Meadows Community Centre, honored with an Award of Excellence.

The firm's comprehensive services encompass new construction, major renovations, small buildings, and multi-unit residential developments up to four stories. Daymark's work has garnered recognition in prestigious publications including Dwell, Designlines, and ArchDaily. Through meticulous attention to detail and collaborative client engagement, the practice delivers tailored architectural solutions that enhance inhabitant wellbeing while maintaining environmental responsibility and timeless aesthetic appeal.

Daymark's ethos is to create modern architecture with distinctive and lasting qualities that contribute to the enrichment of inhabitant's lives and local community with a net-positive effect on the built environment. The firm believes in accomplishing this with a measured and meticulous response to details that support ideas. Partnering with individuals and institutions that share their values and are willing to collaborate assists them with achieving unique and personalized solutions.