Kingman Brewsters Eel Brook House is one of several contemporary contributions to the small town of Fogo Island, Newfoundland, that have appeared subsequent to the successful establishment of the Fogo Island Inn, seen in the distance to the right. Photo by Julian ParkinsonPROJECT Eel Brook House, Fogo Island, NewfoundlandDESIGNER Kingman Brewster StudioTEXT Michael CarrollPHOTOS Alex Fradkin, unless otherwise notedDesigned by Todd Saunders with Sheppard Case Architects, the Fogo Island Inn recently marked a significant milestoneits tenth anniversary. Over the past decade, both the Inn and Fogo Island Arts have become integral to the cultural, economic, and environmental fabric of this remote island (population 2,700) off the northeast coast of Newfoundland. Given that my familys saltbox summer home is in Notre Dame Bay, about 15 nautical miles from Fogo, Ive had the privilege of visiting the island on numerous occasions and observing how contemporary architecture has come to shape this place.The Eel Brook House opens towards the shoreline, where its central structure is supported directly on the exposed bedrock. In contrast, glazing is limited on the street side to maintain privacy. Photo by Alex FradkinThe Fogo Island project, spearheaded by Newfoundland native Zita Cobbs Shorefast Foundation, has been transformative, injecting new life into the islands economy and spurring real estate development. Its model is not dissimilar to other global examples where remote locations have embraced the arts and tourism to fuel redevelopment. Marfa, Texas, and Naoshima Island in Japan come to mind as places that I have visited and have also redefined themselves through the intersection of art, culture, and isolation.Marfa, once a sleepy military base near the U.S.-Mexico border, is now an internationally recognized art destination, largely thanks to the 1996 establishment of the Donald Judd Foundation. The townwith its minimalist galleries, art installations, and hotelshas attracted a creative community that has turned Marfa into a vibrant art colony. Similarly, Naoshima Island, located in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan, has evolved into a cultural hub, transformed from an industrial centre known for copper smelting, shipbuilding, and salt production. Home to just over 3,000 residents, Naoshima has drawn global attention with 10 projects by Tadao Andoincluding the Benesse House art museum, Chichu Art Museum, and the upcoming Naoshima New Museum of Art. Together, these have made the island an architectural and cultural mecca.Fogo Island, like Marfa and Naoshima, exists at the crossroads of the local and the global, the remote and the proximate, the vernacular and the contemporary. Tensions inevitably arise as locals and outsiders interact with the islands distinct geography and culture, while the architecturerooted in tradition, but designed with an eye to the futureacts as a mediator in this evolving dynamic.Over the past several decades, rural Newfoundland has experienced profound changes. Many small outport villages, once thriving with local stores, post offices, small restaurants, gas stations and the like, have dwindled or disappeared altogether. In their place, larger urban centres with suburban box stores have grown. While Fogo Island has experienced some of this broader rural decline, the opening of the Inn and its associated cultural and commercial developments initially spurred hope for renewal. However, in recent years, some businesses that flourished in the Inns wake have closed. For J.K. Contemporary, the designer transformed a historic schoolhouse into a distinctly sculptural presence. Photo courtesy Kingman BrewsterFor J.K. Contemporary, the designer transformed a historic schoolhouse into a distinctly sculptural presence. Photo courtesy Kingman BrewsterOn a trip to Fogo last summer, it was thus a delight to see several new developments on the island. All three projects that caught my eyethe J.K. Contemporary Gallery, the Bangbelly Bistro, and the Eel Brook Housewere authored by a new local designer, Kingman Brewster.Brewster, who studied at Yale and Dalhousie University, moved from New York City to Fogo over a decade ago. As an architectural consultant to Shorefast, he led the design and construction of several key projects on the island. After Shorefasts completion of the Orange Lodge, Fishingmans Hall, and Punt Premises, he decided to continue to live on Fogo with his growing family, and establish a practice here.The J.K. Contemporary is a discrete 24-foot cubic structure with a gable roof, perched on a rocky mount of land. The structure was originally built in 1840 as the St. George Anglican School; its renovation has transformed it into a distinctly contemporary building. From the road, the gallery appears as a looming sculptural structure, with its spruce clapboard walls painted black. The structure opens towards the west with a generous entry area and exterior deck. The east and west end gable walls are each punctuated with a porthole windowa feature that echoes historic local buildingsallowing shafts of sunlight to enter the tall gallery space.Bangbelly Bistro repurposes an existing building. Photo courtesy Kingman BrewsterThe Bangbelly Bistro is named after a Newfoundland boiled pudding consisting of flour, molasses, soda, and seal-fat. It was founded by Ian Sheridan and Caitlyn Terry, who met working at the Fogo Island Inn. The restaurant, which occupies a renovated existing building, first opened in 2018, and has since expanded to include a take-out venue. The renovation features a large open room clad in white-painted wood boards, and adorned with a curated array of objects that create a contemporary yet historic atmosphere.Eel Brook Houses composition is inspired by traditional Newfoundland homesteads composed of a main house with several outbuildings. Photo by Julian ParkinsonThe most architectural of Kingmans body of work to-date is the Eel Brook House. Situated along the main road of Joe Batts Arm, it adjoins a small stream that empties into the nearby harbour. The projects owners, a professional couple from Boston, had visited the Fogo Island Inn on several occasions and had subsequently developed a deep connection to the people, the culture, and the rugged geography of the island. Inspired by the design of the Fogo Island Inn and studios, the couple commissioned Brewster to design them a home that would be both contemporary and contextual. The result is a structure composed of three pavilions, connected by two enclosed walkways and a wraparound deck.The home is inspired by traditional Newfoundland homesteads that were sometimes comprised of a main house and a series of outbuildings that included a store house, a wood house, an outhouse, and even a milk house where perishable items would be stored. In Kingmans scheme, the east-most element is the biscuit boxa two-storey, rectangular 17x 24 structure that contains a ground floor guest room, bathroom and utility room with a second-floor primary bedroom and ensuite bath. The centre stage structure, measuring 16 x 40, contains a large open room with expansive windows and sliding glass doors, allowing access to an expansive cedar deck, and views to the harbour and the North Atlantic beyond, where icebergs from Greenland are often sighted in the spring. This public room includes a kitchen, dining and living area. Built-in cabinetry along the entire south wall of the room includes a fireplace with sheet metal surround.A salvaged barn door seals off a square-plan meditation room from the rest of the home. Photo by Alex FradkinThe third component of the house is the shedan 11 x 11 meditation and exercise room, one step down from a connecting bridge. It features a locally salvaged barn door mounted on a rolling track. When the door is closed, the room becomes cozily insular and removed from the rest of the house. Formally, it is the most experimental of the pavilions: with its flat roof, two small square windows facing the street, and a large, fixed glass unit facing the harbour. One can imagine the magical quality of this room during a storm, with the sea on the horizonor the drama of an aurora borealis, seen from both its windows and large overhead skylight.Interior connections link between the pavilion-like volumes, while giving access to outdoor decks. Photo by Alex FradkinGiven the projects proximity to the street, it feels very private upon entry. Openings along the street side have been limited to 30 square windows, and the two glass-lined bridges that connect the pavilions have been angled obliquely to limit any direct views inside. The houses thermal and acoustic insulation is ensured by its triple-glazed Schco windows and its R-60 super-insulated walls. The exteriors rainscreen, sourced from UAB Degmeda in Lithuania, is composed of shou-sugi-ban-style vertical spruce cladding mounted on battens. The fire-tempered boards meet the roof eaves cleanly, while zero-detailed window surrounds and minimalist exterior railings also contribute to an abstracted form that subtly contrasts with the local vernacular.The living area offers views to the harbour and the North Atlantic beyond. Photo by Alex FradkinIt is refreshing to think that, even in this remote part of the world, contemporary architecture is part of what makes a place feel grounded and real. Remote places like Fogo, Marfa and Naoshima and their effects remind us that architecture can play a significant role in how we perceive and shape a place. If anything, the various architectural projects on Fogo Island are not merely about buildingsbut represent a dialogue about culture, community, and balancing local authenticity with global influences in an increasingly homogenized world. In this desire to seek out places that inspire, it is not surprising that two of Brewsters most recent potential clients come fromwhere else but Marfa, Texas. Just when you think you are in the middle of nowhere, the outside world comes knocking at your door.Michael Carroll, NLAA is a registered Canadian architect based in Atlanta, where he is an Associate Professor of Architecture at Kennesaw State University.CLIENT Janetta Stringfellow and Eric Schwartz | DESIGNER Kingman Brewster | INTERIORS Kingman Brewster Studio | CONTRACTORTriple T Construction | AREA174 m2 | BUDGET Withheld | COMPLETION Spring 2023ENERGY USE INTENSITY (PROJECTED, SEASONAL USE) 35 kWh/m2/year | WATER USE INTENSITY (PROJECTED, SEASONAL USE) 0.3 m3/m2/yearAs appeared in theFebruary 2025issue of Canadian Architect magazine The post The Fogo Island Effect appeared first on Canadian Architect.