At the end of a long and winding driveway through the forest, White Rock is perched above a steep rocky incline overlooking the north bank of the Gaspereau River Valley. The valley is the home and the unceded territory of the Mi’Kmaq indigenous community and has deep roots for the Acadian community who named the river after the gaspereau fish. Located south of the town of Wolfville, Gaspereau Valley is an agricultural community with an abundance of dairy farms and apple orchards. In recent years, the valley has become the home of Nova Scotia’s premiere vineyards and cideries. At the base of White Rock is one of the region’s most celebrated vineyards.
The simple form with deliberate, carefully positioned openings is inspired by traditional hunting cabins and duck blinds hidden in the dense forest. Formally, the building is a large heavy weathering steel volume resting atop a series of seemingly too skinny legs. A smaller weathering steel entry volume is recessed underneath the larger volume above and appears to emerge from the expansive rock below, anchoring the structure to site.
(Text description provided by the architects)
Photography: Ema Peter Photography