A Home Where Wood and Natural Light Triumph / Montreal, Canada

 

A Home Where Wood and Natural Light Triumph / Montreal, Canada

With La Cadrée Perchée, L’Empreinte Design Architecture offers constant interaction with the outdoors through a home that reflects light and frames a wild, rejuvenating, and inspiring environment. As a demonstration of symbiosis with nature, this achievement reflects the benefits of architecture on the well-being and mental health of users.

In the heart of a maple grove, high up in the mountains bordering Lac Franc in Morin-Heights, in the Laurentians region of Quebec, this 8-room, 2,100-square-foot residence was created by and for Pier-Olivier Lepage, founder of L'Empreinte Design Architecture. The entrepreneur's vision was to take advantage of the vital energy of nature on a daily basis.

"I spend a lot of time working from home," he explains. "However, I concentrate better when I feel connected to the outdoors. Otherwise, I am distracted by thoughts of going out to enjoy the outdoors."

Photo credit: Pier-Olivier Lepage

For more information

1.  lempreinte.ca

Enriching the experience of the forest

With its abundant fenestration, La Cadrée Perchée allows you to savor the panorama of the site from both sides of the building, comprised of several glass frames perched on the side of the mountain and facing the treetops. It gives the impression of leading to the top of the forest. Nature is put forward by the through view, but also through materials, both exterior and interior, where wood is omnipresent as a finishing element.

To maximize transparency in the east-west orientation, the interior layout offers solutions such as a sofa recessed in a pit, a minimalist low-profile kitchen, and storage units grouped in circulation islands. The simplicity of the whole highlights the wood and the landscape as the main components of the decor.

"The eye is sensitive to contrast," notes Pier-Olivier Lepage. "Therefore, I opted for a sober environment that brings out the essentials."

In order to vary the views of the wooded area, the house was set up on the slope of the land through different strata of trees. "You sometimes feel like the king of the forest, and other times its far more humbling," explains Pier-Olivier Lepage, who has lived on the property since September 2021. The orientation also allows for enjoyable moments such as sunrise and sunset views.