Catalogue 22/Coracle Boat House

Part of Catalogue 22, Catalogue 22 on Google Maps

Coracle Boat House

Designer: Jaclyn Squizzato
Degree: B. Architecture
School: Carleton University
Year: 2009
Location of Project: Mooney's Bay, Ottawa
Project Status: Unbuilt

The objective of the Boat House project was to design a space for the construction and maintenance of a coracle. By placing the coracle in the center of the room with the rest of the space being left open for free use, the finished coracle defines the use of the Boat House. Free space can be used to makes repairs, alterations, and build new boats. The glass wall at the front of the Boat House also creates a seamless transition between interior floor and exterior dock, when at high tide the water perfectly aligns with the continuous plane of the Boat House floor. A continuation of the simple, elegant connections of the coracle is also carried over into the structural connection of the coracle architecture. Using Japanese joinery, similar to the structural wood beam connections seen in Arthur Erickson’s Smith House, a completely nail feel wood construction becomes possible. This also makes the coracle architecture entirely demountable, allowing it to transition between sites during various seasons.