Corten Steel Retreat Blends Bold Design with Forest
Perched above Nova Scotia’s Gaspereau River Valley, White Rock Cottage by Omar Gandhi Architects is a bold architectural response to its rugged, wooded setting.
The 140-square-meter cabin is lifted above the sloping five-acre site on slender steel stilts, taking on the form of a corrugated Corten steel cube. Its elevated stance and muted palette blend into the forest, creating a striking yet harmonious presence.
Accessed via a narrow driveway and gravel path, the retreat unfolds gradually, revealing two bedrooms on the lower level and a warm, smoked oak-lined interior above. A raw steel bench traces the perimeter of the open-plan living area, anchored by a wood-burning fireplace and softened by antique furnishings and hand-dyed textiles.
The cantilevered steel canopies shade large south-facing windows, while a rooftop patio crowns the home with panoramic views of the treetops—an ideal perch for reflection and disconnection.
The photography is by Ema Peter.