his truly unique university president’s home was designed to facilitate serious working, aesthetically grounded living, and gracious entertaining. Starting with no working drawings at all, the house was designed jointly by the client and Rob Roy Builders. Externally, it’s a traditional P.E.I. farmhouse, but the interior is anything but traditional. The house is situated on the point of land that separates Covehead and Brackley Bays, and faces north toward the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A stairway separates the downstairs living and sunken dining areas, and leads up to the second-floor living area and office. A seaward glance from the upstairs living and office areas is rewarded by a 20-mile panoramic view of north shore coastline. Expanses of glass on the south, east, and west side of the house allow sunlight to enter all day long, and frame Prince Edward Island’s famous sunrises and sunsets.


Wade MacLauchlan's Experience

It’s a place that was built for all seasons, and everything about it was given total attention. We designed it together and we all share a sense of pride and ownership in the result. There was no architect involved, and whatever wasn’t mine, was Rob and Pat’s. It was a grand experience, and through it we created a very special relationship that still continues.

There was nothing that was not pursued down to the last possibility to ensure top quality. They are very knowledgeable about what’s out there — flooring, trims, exterior cladding, windows — and they wouldn’t tolerate anything short of excellence. But economy was also part of it.

I admire the way they achieve that balance between an economical outcome and something that’s of a very special quality.

From beginning to end I had complete confidence in every aspect of what we were doing. At no stage in the project was there anything but trust. When I was told that something would be done by a certain time, I knew that it would be. This confidence extended to the business side of things, too. Pat is one of the best business people that I’ve ever encountered. Whatever the discussion was, it was highly principled, with everything clear and on the table.


A remarkable combination of reliability and ingenuity takes their work into a category that one rarely sees.

H. Wade MacLauchlan
President,University of Prince Edward Island