Canadian Studio Architecture Appareil created woodfilled with light mountain House with mono-pitched roof in Mont Tremblant, Quebec.
Known as Résidence des Rapides, this three-bedroom home is partially built into a sloping four-acre lot on the banks of the Diable River in the Laurentian Mountains.
in Montreal Architecture Appareil The cedar-clad home was completed in 2023, based on an earlier design by the studio. Piloty Bench a sofa with open joints and no fittings.
“With its open, solid wood structure, Résidence des Rapides creates a coherent, visible language at the intersection of the site and the architecture,” founder and architect Kim Parisot told Dezeen.
The team designed the house with a bold form that expresses its structure. It has a monumental roof that overhangs up to eight feet (2.4 meters) in some places, creating covered walkways around the house, and a 15-foot (4.5-meter) cathedral ceiling inside.
“We wanted to give the roof a sense of lightness, so that it almost floats above the house,” said Marc-Olivier Champagne-Thomas, associate architect at Appareil Architecture.
“We deliberately avoided using lateral columns for support, opting for an integrated approach in which the body of the structure and the roof are harmoniously connected to each other, fitting together like pieces of furniture.”
The roof is raised on a colonnade of rectangular wooden columns from floor-to-ceiling glazing on the south side.
“The house has two distinct facades: a shy, timid side facing the driveway, and another facing the rear, revealing the splendor of the landscape,” the team said.
On the main upper level, a corner entry leads into the open plan living, dining and kitchen area.
The master bedroom and bathroom occupy one part of the plan, while the other part consists of a covered porch with an outdoor dining area.
The master bedroom walls don't extend all the way to the roof to maintain “a sense of openness and fluidity, enhancing the home's sense of space and light.”
The ground floor, located halfway up the hillside and as close to the river as possible, contains a living room, home theater, and two bedrooms, each of which opens onto a covered outdoor walkway and spa where residents can hear the gentle sound of running water.
The interiors feature red oak paneling and wood floors, while porcelain countertops and ceramic tiles create a cool contrast with the natural wood.
“Beyond covering the surfaces in wood, we wanted to work with this noble material in all its diversity, using its structural properties for the framework, playing with its nuances to create a unique external language, and spreading its warmth into every nook and cranny of the house,” said Champagne-Thomas.
Appareil Architecture previously designed dental clinic to “feel at home” and update minimal house 1960s with a minimal palette, both in Montreal.
Photo taken Felix Michaud.
Project loans:
Contractors: Fairfield Construction, Larix Construction
Carpenter: Roland Grenier Construction, Daniel Casaubon
Window: Alumiex
Lighting: Lamp Authentic
Kitchen stools: Apparel Atelier