To temper the statement somewhat, some might say that what Meadows describes as drama (and what his Vancouver-based architect Barbara Houston describes as just another day on the job) might simply be the natural byproduct of building your own dream cottage. The tension created between homeowner, architect and builder — the passion, vision and logistics behind the project — pulls at the corners of the creative fabric to produce a tightly woven and seamless product: in this case, a cabin overlooking Canim Lake, British Columbia.

Located 35 kilometres northeast of 100 Mile House, in the Cariboo Mountains, Canim Lake is home to 247 residents. During a wide-sweeping tour, as Meadows and his partner Leslie toted their realtor and their $80,000-budget across southern BC in search of the perfect retreat, they stumbled across the 37-kilometre-long lake’s pebbly, volcanic beaches and mountain views. It was love at first sight.

“We thought, ‘Oh… my… god!’” Meadows punctuates each word with enthusiasm. “‘Can you believe this?’”

Recently subdivided from the neighbouring property, the one-acre lot housed two small cabins dating back to the 1940s, complete with original woodstoves and 180-degree lake views. It was 1999 and the couple negotiated a $90,000 price with their neighbour in return for shared driveway privileges. For the next six years, the tiny cabins provided a retreat for family and friends, but all the while Meadows had the perfect image of what he would one day build on the property.

The drama began to heat up when Meadows and his partner met Barbara Houston at a cocktail party. The first-time homebuilders had never worked with an architect before, but they admired Houston’s vision and personal style. As they began planning their future cottage, the pair had only two requests: it had to fit into the surrounding landscape and it had to be modestly sized.