丨DKA

Architects:DKA

Area:534m²

Year:2024

Photographs:Maxime Bourgault,Josee Marino

Manufacturers:Fisher & Paykel,Ceragres,Luxtec,MAC Architectural,Maibec,Maxiforet,Palazzani,Phylrich,Rubi,Shalwin,Stone Tile,Stuv

Category:Residential Architecture,Houses

Technical Team:Vincent C. Deslauriers, Eric Desjardins

Design Team:DKA

Office Lead Architects:Virginie Roy Montpellier, Sonkham Khamlong

General Contractor:Bercail Construction

City:Les Laurentides Regional County Municipality

Country:Canada

Text description provided by the architects. Located in the Laurentians, this residence was designed for a family seeking to step away from the demands of daily life, embracing an understated architecture that blends into its natural surroundings.

Set within dense vegetation on a rugged site, the house gradually reveals itself from the access road through an immersive sequence of discovery. The composition is both balanced and sensitive, responding to the landscape while minimizing deforestation and preserving the existing ecosystem.

The design reinterprets Quebec's vernacular architecture, drawing inspiration from the archetypal house: a gabled roof set on a simple rectangular volume. Here, the volume is broken down into three entities, framing two clear openings toward the lake. A restrained palette of materials reinforces the building's simplicity and timeless character.

Between the garage and main entrance, a covered passageway offers the first glimpse of the water. Inside, a peripheral circulation axis ensures fluid movement throughout the home. Openings gradually expand as one progresses through the spaces, creating the impression that the common areas extend toward the covered terrace of the third volume. The fireplace anchors the living spaces, buffering the activity of the kitchen and dining area while preserving the calm of the living room. Wooden ceilings introduce warmth and a sense of grounding, while the overall approach ensures that the architecture recedes to allow nature to take center stage.

In contrast to the openness of the upper floor, the garden level is conceived as a single volume dedicated to retreat. Darker tones and enveloping finishes create a calming atmosphere, while carefully placed openings invite nature to flow into these intimate spaces. The choice of materials extends the surrounding landscape indoors, their tones shifting throughout the day as natural light animates the surfaces, revealing the movement of nature through shadow and reflection.

The result is an architecture of restraint and immersion, one that embraces simplicity, respects its context, and amplifies the presence of the landscape.

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