The House Y project started when the client inherited a mansion, which was designed to meet the tastes of the former generation, and it was too big and expensive to maintain for the new resident. The client wanted to restore the plot to a natural pine forest and built a small home that fully engages with the surrounding landscape. The new house and garden have been designed to meet contemporary tastes. Hence, this project represents both a generational shift and a change in design ideology and ecology.

The house consists of three barns put together in a Y-shape. Each of the three wings possesses a different spatial scale to meet their individual functions and to create a sense of hierarchy. Also, the concept generates a spatial flow inside the house. Since the building is situated on a windy site, the Y-shape provides protected yards on each side of the house. The house and the patio are raised to enhance the experience of the scenery. There is an exit from every room of the house, so the interior and the exterior are strongly connected.

The house possesses a dual quality. From the side of the main entrance, it appears closed, old and traditional. On the other side, towards the lake, the house opens up with lots of glass and large patios. The wood used on the exterior is untreated so that it will turn grey over time. In homage to his late father, the client chose to reuse the front door of the old house.The interiors are clad with a subtly whitened spruce, and the cell-like spaces of the bathrooms and bedrooms are introduced into the open interior space as boxes made of white plywood. A large fireplace acts as the centrepiece of the interior.