House in a Cherry Orchard
House in a Cherry Orchard occupies the edge of a working orchard in Naramata, between ordered rows of cherry trees and a cultivated garden behind them. A previous farmhouse had already been demolished, leaving an excavation on the site. The new house was placed on this disturbed ground rather than extending construction farther into the orchard, repairing the former building site while keeping the surrounding agricultural land in production.
The orchard establishes both an order and a height. The long house turns slightly away from the rows to address views, privacy and the path of the sun. Guest and support spaces sit at orchard level, while the main living spaces are raised to the top of the canopy. From there, the canopy forms a broad foreground, with long views extending over the trees to Okanagan Lake and the mountains beyond.
The upper floor is held within a simple gabled volume, clad continuously in weathering steel across its roof and walls. Timber clads the lower volume and sheltered recesses. The form has something of the directness of an agricultural building without trying to reproduce one. Inside, a regular line of exposed timber trusses gives the great room its order and rhythm through the structure itself rather than through added finishes.
The eaveless gable is unusual for our work, where deep roof overhangs often provide the first line of defence against summer heat. Here, the covered south patio projects far enough to shade the main glazing without carrying an overhang around the entire building. To the west, where low afternoon sun is harder to block with a roof, exterior shades protect the glass while preserving long views across the lake.
The orchard changes continuously through the year. In winter, bare rows open views across the lake to the snow-covered mountains. Buds appear, followed by blossom, leaves and fruit, while pruning, tending and picking continue around the house. By summer, the canopy becomes a broad green surface below the main floor. When the leaves fall, the distant landscape opens again. The yearly cycle of the orchard becomes part of everyday life.
