FOREST TEMPLE III
Markham, Ontario, Canada
Cultural New Construction
5,285 sf
Unbuilt
Within the Canadian context, forests are sacred places to protect, preserve, and restore — spaces whose beauty is to be honoured. Locals and visitors alike find refuge and calm in the diverse landscapes of our nation. The cabin has come to transcend mere shelter, embodying sanctitude and restoration — an invitation to slow down and open one's heart to nature, reflection, and prayer.
The proposed design captures this quintessential Canadian experience. "The cabin," as an archetype, informs the House of Worship's geometries, materiality, and relationship with the surrounding forest.
Nine pitched roof forms, reminiscent of cabin structures, frame outward views and immerse visitors in the rhythm of nature. These nine ever-changing vistas invite nature — as teacher and relative — to become part of the experience, a perspective shared amongst our Indigenous friends and family. To occupy this space, nestled in the forest, is to find a profound sense of belonging and spiritual connection to something much larger.
The mass timber structure is celebrated in the interior, while the pitched roof capably manages the heavy snow loads of the winter season.