The house was conceived as a geometric and regionalist response to the site. The cube form derived from rock patterns nearby; one of which has been carved square by years of natural erosion. The tall stair tower is a nod to the local lighthouses that stand on similar promontories. The cantilevered deck employs a ribbed, abstracted scallop form for structure. The building is completely Structural Insulated Panel construction: walls, roof, and floor. This allowed for a quick construction schedule and provides a tight envelope for the harsh Nova Scotia winters. The steel frame undercarriage was pier-anchored to the rocky site. Finishes included concrete floors with hydronic radiant heating, maple floors in the loft area, lumber deck (that appears to float over the headland), glass and steel railings, and exposed wide flange and glue-lam beams. The exterior includes prefinished exterior cladding for cost-effective construction and factory finish warranties (fiber cement panels and corrugated metal).