{"id":119689,"date":"2025-09-04T16:06:06","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T16:06:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/119689\/"},"modified":"2025-09-04T16:06:06","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T16:06:06","slug":"good-buildings-rational-and-pared-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/119689\/","title":{"rendered":"Good buildings, rational and pared down"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ridge on the Chimney, Cape Breton, N.S. Design by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple ArchitectsJames Brittain\/James Brittain Photography<\/p>\n

Montreal\u2019s Kim Gingras is a choreographer and dancer who has graced some of the biggest stages in the world. She\u2019s backed up Beyonc\u00e9 at the Super Bowl halftime show, danced with Meghan Trainor at the Billboard Music Awards and performed alongside Ariana Grande at Coachella.<\/p>\n

But these days, when she and her husband, songwriter and producer Fred St-Gelais, need downtime, they seek it far from the bright lights of show business.<\/p>\n

Since 2023, the couple has twice visited the Ridge on the Chimney. The collection of four minimalist rental cabins is perched on a remote stretch of Cape Breton Island, high on a forested bluff overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence.<\/p>\n

The design equals the scenery as a draw. \u201cThe architecture is pure, simple, and striking,\u201d says Ms. Gingras. \u201cEvery detail feels intentional and in harmony with the surrounding landscape. It\u2019s rare to find a place that feels so grounding and at the same time creatively energizing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Standout architecture was important for owner Scott Fitzgerald. As a student at Dalhousie University in Halifax, studying industrial engineering in the early 2000s, he attended a lecture by local architectural legend Brian MacKay-Lyons. \u201cI remember him saying, \u2018Economy was ethic,\u2019\u201d says Mr. Fitzgerald. \u201cIt\u2019s the idea that good buildings are rational, pared down, deliberately framing views and landscapes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Years later, in 2020, Mr. Fitzgerald stayed at a cabin on Mr. MacKay-Lyons\u2019s own property, Shobac, south of Lunenburg, N.S. There, the architect not only lives and keeps a farm but offers accommodation to those seeking peace and quiet.<\/p>\n

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As a student, Ridge owner Scott Fitzgerald attended a lecture at Dalhousie University by architect Brian MacKay-Lyons. \u201cI remember him saying, \u2018Economy was ethic.’ It\u2019s the idea that good buildings are rational, pared down, deliberately framing views and landscapes.\u201dJames Brittain\/James Brittain Photography<\/p>\n

The experience inspired Mr. Fitzgerald \u2013 even though he had to get his hands dirty. \u201cSome Highland cattle escaped from their enclosure,\u201d he says. \u201cAfter I helped Brian and his wife, Marilyn, get them back through the break in the fence, we sat down, had coffee, and for several hours talked about my dream for Ridge on the Chimney.\u201d<\/p>\n

The dream was a long time coming. Mr. Fitzgerald grew up in Sydney, N.S. Like many in his generation, he had to leave for work. He currently lives in Toronto with his partner and children, where he\u2019s head of sales for Unilever\u2019s ice cream brands (Ben & Jerry\u2019s, Magnum and others). \u201cWhen I graduated high school, unemployment was over 25 per cent,\u201d he says. \u201cBut I love Cape Breton. I\u2019ve always wanted a place by the water.\u201d<\/p>\n

The dream accelerated after his cowherding coffee. In 2021, Mr. Fitzgerald closed on an undeveloped, 100-plus-acre property in Cape Breton. He immediately engaged Mr. MacKay-Lyons\u2019s firm, MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects. \u201cI love how their work celebrates the tradition and beauty of the Maritimes,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Fittingly, the exterior of the cabins \u2013 weathered cedar slats and shingles with sloped steel or cedar roofs \u2013 is inspired by the sturdy, utilitarian barns found across Nova Scotia. Cape Breton\u2019s local climate further refined the shape of the structures, which range from about 600 to 1,300 square feet and cost from $400 a night.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the area\u2019s freeze-thaw cycle, traditional overhangs can cause ice dams and leaks,\u201d explains Mr. MacKay-Lyons. \u201cInstead, we designed roofs that fold directly into the walls, with a special ventilation strip to keep things dry and clean-looking.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The area\u2019s winds are notorious, and can gust up to 200 kilometres per hour. \u201cBecause of extreme winds,\u201d says Mr. MacKay-Lyons, \u201cwe avoid appendages that might blow off and used recessed entrances to protect people when they\u2019re trying to fish for keys and unlock their door in a storm.\u201dMatthew MacKay-Lyons\/matthew mackay-lyons<\/p>\n

Then there are the area\u2019s notorious winds, called les Su\u00eates, which can gust up to 200 kilometres an hour in the colder months. \u201cBecause of extreme winds,\u201d says Mr. MacKay-Lyons, \u201cwe avoid appendages that might blow off and used recessed entrances to protect people when they\u2019re trying to fish for keys and unlock their door in a storm.\u201d<\/p>\n

In contrast to the wild climate, the interiors are warm and luxurious, with double-height ceilings clad in whitewashed hemlock and cast-iron wood stoves that glow when lit. Craftsmanship abounds, such as handmade lights by Toronto brand Hollis Morris and handcrafted mattresses from Ottawa\u2019s Obasan.<\/p>\n

But it might be the windows that leave the most lasting impression. Large panes frame views of sea, sky, and the natural rock formation from which the retreat takes its name: the Chimney, a dramatic stack of stones on the beach below.<\/p>\n

Smaller windows in the bedrooms frame the surrounding woods, creating moments of intimacy and retreat. \u201cIf the big views were everywhere, they\u2019d feel less special,\u201d says Shane Andrews, a partner at the architectural firm. \u201cThe window placement lets you choose between connection and retreat, prospect and refuge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the cabins\u2019 proximity \u2013 they sit close together on a small corner of the site \u2013 the windows are placed for privacy. \u201cThe layout is so well thought out that you feel completely secluded,\u201d says Ms. Gingras.<\/p>\n

That sense of balance \u2013 between openness and shelter, community and seclusion \u2013 is deliberate. The first four cabins, completed in 2023, were designed as a cluster, \u201clike clothes blowing on a line,\u201d says Mr. MacKay-Lyons. Up to six future phases are planned, with future buildings developing along the same lines.<\/p>\n

For Mr. Fitzgerald, there is no rush to populate the site. There is no set timeline for completion. \u201cThis, to me, is intergenerational in nature,\u201d he says. \u201cIdeally, it\u2019s something where multiple generations will build memories, and where people will want to come back again and again, bringing their kids and grandkids.\u201d<\/p>\n

For visitors such as Ms. Gingras, the vision is already coming to life. Her third trip is already booked for this October. \u201cThe first time we stayed, we instantly knew we\u2019d be back,\u201d she says. \u201cReturning felt natural, almost necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: Ridge on the Chimney, Cape Breton, N.S. Design by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple ArchitectsJames Brittain\/James…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":119690,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[901,76,354,888,355,902,879,877,903,49,48,876,895,896,891,878,875,356,46,549,75,295,894,887,914,880,881,893,889,890,884,904,885,909,910,912,907,911,905,908,882,898,899,714,897,906,865,61,900,892,886,883,913],"class_list":["post-119689","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-alberta","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-arts-news","tag-artsanddesign","tag-bc","tag-breaking-news","tag-breaking-news-video","tag-british-columbia","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canada-news","tag-canada-sports","tag-canada-sports-news","tag-canada-trafficcanada-weather","tag-canadian-breaking-news","tag-canadian-news","tag-design","tag-economy","tag-education","tag-entertainment","tag-environment","tag-federal-government","tag-foreign-news","tag-globe-and-mail","tag-globe-and-mail-breaking-news","tag-globe-and-mail-canada-news","tag-government","tag-life-news","tag-lifestyle","tag-local-news","tag-manitoba","tag-national-news","tag-new-brunswick","tag-newfoundland-and-labrador","tag-northwest-territories","tag-nova-scotia","tag-nunavut","tag-ontario","tag-pei","tag-photos","tag-political-news","tag-political-opinion","tag-politics","tag-politics-news","tag-quebec","tag-sports-news","tag-technology","tag-travel","tag-trudeau","tag-us-news","tag-world-news","tag-yukon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119689"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119689\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}