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JOHN BROWN is the editor of theslowhome.com and the founder of the Slow Home Movement. He is a registered architect, real estate broker and Professor of Architecture at the University of Calgary.

New Prairie Residence


Courtyard

Elevation

Night

Grass Field

Site Plan

Floor Plan

Sections 1 & 2

Section 3
Clear Lake

Clear Lake,  Canada West

Kohn Shnier Architects

Related Entries: Hillhurst, Connecticut House, Muskoka House, Lake House,
This L-shaped house is located at the edge of a National Park, two and a half hours north or Winnipeg. It is at the point where prairie meets rolling hills.

The owner’s sleeping area and study is separated from the guest rooms by a large volume containing living, dining and cooking.

The house is sited exactly north-south creating a porch which is always in shade and one that is always in sun. The rooms are biased towards views of the landscape and Manitoba’s famous prairie skies.

The exterior profile of the house is inspired by the heftiness of the prairie bison while it is clad in a random pattern of cedar shakes, relating to the texture of the field and the vernacular of other buildings in the town of Clear Lake.






We believe that our homes and neighborhoods should be healthy, vibrant places that uplift the spirit and gracefully fit our needs. We call for an end to poor construction, bad design, misleading marketing, unfair lending practices and environmental neglect in the housing industry. We acknowledge our collective responsibility to create CLOSE, SIMPLE, LIGHT places to live that leave a positive legacy for future generations.

provides design focused information that homeowners can use to improve the quality of how and where they live. It takes its name from the slow food movement which arose as a reaction to the processed food industry. The sprawl of cookie cutter housing that surrounds us is like fast food - standardized, homogenous, and wasteful. It contributes to a too fast life that is bad for us, our cities, and the environment. In the same way that slow food raises awareness of the food we eat and how these choices affect our lives, Slow Home empowers you to take more control of your home and improve the quality of how you live while reducing your environmental impact and futureproofing the long term investment value of your home.