Melding Modernism on the Shores of a Québécois Lake | The House of la Baie de l’Ours

The feeling of flying and floating in the air is incredibly magical! The project is located…

The design strategy of this house is based on a commitment to artisanal constructive honesty, the respect towards natural context in an urban area, and the constant search for a way of inhabiting where material austerity provides spatial quality. The main body of the house is located in the southern boundary of the land, respecting the 3 preexisting fruit trees on the north side and taking advantage of the best ventilation and natural light possible. The program, which includes 2 bedrooms, social area, a family room and services, is condensed in a monolithic block to reduce its footprint. As a main strategy, the upper roof tilts 21 degrees, prioritizing the northern bedroom spaces and reducing the southern service spaces. The subtraction and rotation of a middle segment generates a shift in between the upper floor bedrooms, allowing cross ventilation, as well as the accommodation of rooftop equipment and the plumbing and electrical ducting. In section, the composition allows the circulation of north-south winds, cooling the kitchen by the hot air escape achieved through height differences. The constructive solution contemplates material honesty in all the elements. The concrete walls on ground floor, pured with recycled formwork, give an imperfect finish consistent with the roof’s austerity, but contrasted with the cleanliness and volumetric continuity of the upper floor finish. To reduce economic impact, ceiling and floor finishings and tilings were completely eliminated using bare concrete floors and, in order to express the constructive and structural performance, the roofs use a system of bare concrete joists in combination with vaulted pieces, designed and manufactured using a mold made with local artisan blacksmithing.

This is an old apartment with 40 years of history. The designer rotated the original axis and redesigned the structure in order to integrate the confusing flow line. There was only a single side of light in this space, after the rearrangement, the three sides of light, air and natural were introduced into the space giving the old house a new look. The designer tried to expose the original beams in the open space and colored the lowest beams with grey, which goes with the façade, so as to weaken the protruding beams. Also showing the natural beauty of the original structure within the space. On the other hand, there is no over-decorated design in the bedroom and the other rooms, only using the simple point-line-plan structure and non-chromatic to create a balanced picture. On the flow line planning, the designer integrated the main entrances of five rooms into one hallway. Using spray painting, wallpaper, secret doors, and sliding doors on the aisle space, which used to be confusing at the first place, to hide the appearance but also maintain its function. The design enlarged the space and made it return to the original strength and essence.