Build the Unbuildable — Lakeside Architecture Inc

Climate change is reshaping cottage country , and architect James Pitropov explains what that means for how we design and build lakeside homes. Drawing on years of field experience across Muskoka, Georgian Bay, Lake Simcoe, and the Kawarthas, James breaks down the real risks owners are now facing—wildfires, flooding, ice storms, gale-force winds, and power outages—and why traditional building meth...

Start designing your dream lakeside cottage today: https://lakesidearchitecture.ca/design-your-dream-cottage/ In this episode of Build the Unbuildable, John and James take you beneath the surface—literally—to explore what it really takes to design and build a boathouse on Ontario’s lakes. From driving steel piles into bedrock to navigating seasonal ice, shifting water levels, and the quirks of Can...

In this episode of Build the Unbuildable, James Pitropov and John Tyreman explore what it takes to design and construct a dream cottage on one of the most challenging sites imaginable — a steep, landlocked point of land on Lake Muskoka. James walks through the journey of transforming a property once deemed “unbuildable” into a stunning architectural retreat. From securing easements and carving a r...

Building your dream cottage on a steep lakefront lot might seem impossible—but it’s not. In this episode of Build the Unbuildable, architect James Pitropov and co-host John Tyreman unpack the art and science of designing for topography. From strategic surveying and ICF foundations to retaining walls, terraces, and multi-level layouts, James explains how thoughtful design can transform vertical cha...

Should you renovate or rebuild your lakeside cottage?  On this episode, Principal Architect James Pitropov and co-host John Tyreman explore how to decide what’s worth saving—from family memories to grandfathered footprints—in your lakeside cottage. Featuring a stunning Georgian Bay project in Killarney, this episode shows how thoughtful design can turn limitations into possibilities. CHAPTERS: 00:...

Design Your Dream Home Guide: In this episode of Build The Unbuildable, James Pitropov, Principal at Lakeside Architecture Inc, shares his experience building on some of the most challenging sites in Ontario's cottage country; islands. How do you transport equipment and materials? What is the environmental impact? What should be factored into the design of such a cottage? We answer all these...

If you’ve ever dreamed about building a lakeside cottage or marveled at those stunning boathouses dotting Ontario’s shorelines, this show is for you. In this trailer video, host John Tyreman introduces Build the Unbuildable and his co-host, architect James Pitropov of Lakeside Architecture Inc. Together, they preview what’s to come — from stories of nostalgia and family traditions on the lake to t...