Belly of the Whale Residence photos, New River Beach property images, Canadian home architecture design

Belly of the Whale Residence in New River Beach

30 November 2025

Architecture: Acre Architects

Location: New River Beach, New Brunswick, Canada

Photos by Julian Parkinson

Belly of the Whale Residence, New Brunswick, northeast Canada

The task of the Belly of the Whale Residential Project was to create a home that met every functional need while settling gently into its rugged coastal site – never dominating the landscape, but becoming part of it.

Grounded in Acre’s process of Storied Architecture, the project adopts the poetic idea of the “belly of the whale” to shape the program, turning essential spaces into sculptural, narrative-driven experiences that balance intimacy with drama.

Perched among rocky outcrops and sandy coves along the Bay of Fundy, the residence is composed of two distinct volumes linked by a conceptual “streamlet.”

This organizational move separates the private spaces from the dramatic communal heart of the home while giving the overall form a sense of quiet rhythm. The communal volume – the Belly of the Whale – is defined by a soaring wood ceiling that recalls the curvature of a whale’s ribcage.

Warm, light-filled, and oriented toward expansive ocean views, it acts simultaneously as refuge and lookout, anchoring the home’s architectural story.

In contrast, the private volume recedes into the surrounding forest, its muted presence softening the overall silhouette of the house and allowing the power of the landscape to remain the dominant visual force.