Project: Between Lake and Forest / Location: Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs, Québec / Architecture: LOCUS architecture + design, Montreal / Photography: Maxime Brouillet and Yousef Farasat
Montreal-based LOCUS architecture + design designed this 3,600-square-foot home in the Laurentian countryside in Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs, Quebec as a modern retreat from the demands of urban life. Consisting of a dark upper volume atop an exposed concrete plinth, it elevates the main living spaces to the top floor and equips them with large windows and generous glazing to capture views of the natural surroundings and nearby Lac Cupidon. Two fully glazed cantilevered rooms, also on the upper level, blur the line between inside and out.
The house itself sits at the highest point of a well-timbered four-acre lot. According to the architects, siting the building was a major challenge, complicated by a bevy of considerations: the density of the forest, site topography, proximity to thIe riparian zone and the integration of the building into the landscape. Preservation of local ecosystems, including two large wetlands and wildlife paths created by local fauna, was also a primary concern.
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On the lakeside of the home, all of the structural elements were removed from the perimeter to maximize the unobstructed views and, in turn, lighten the appearance of the building envelope. Structural planning was also key in the living room where the windows extend above the ceiling plane and below the floor without the addition of vertical frames or mullions.
In the front of the house, concrete steps under a dramatic entrance portal lead up to the upper level or main floor, where glass walls in the stairwell offer the first glimpse of the lake. Entry into the home is via a vestibule on the immediate right, while the portal and the stairwell establish a clear boundary between the living spaces and sleeping quarters.
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The living spaces located to the right of the stairwell include a kitchen, dining area and living room in a bright, spacious open-plan layout. Sliding doors in the kitchen provide access to a balcony and a screened-in porch. A powder room, three bedrooms and the library—the second of the cantilevered rooms—make up the left wing of the main floor.
A wide, central hallway with a 10-foot-high ceiling runs through the length of the main floor, connecting one side of the house with the other. The ceiling is clad entirely in light pine, for visual continuity.
An open-riser staircase with a glass railing allows light to penetrate into the lower level, which contains a fourth bedroom and bathroom for guests, a family room with a large fireplace, and access to the outdoor spa area, the garage and the house’s service spaces.
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