The Apple Treehouse: A Modernist Glass Residence / Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm, Canada

 

The Apple Treehouse: A Modernist Glass Residence / Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm, Canada

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

For more information

1.  acdf.ca/

ACDF Architecture, a progressive Canadian firm internationally recognized for designing a new generation of meaningful and impactful buildings, is proud to unveil the Apple Tree House, a family retreat located in the heart of Quebec’s Lanaudière region. On a private lot engulfed by dense boreal forest, the single-story glass house epitomizes ACDF’s sensitive architectural approach to fostering human connections with nature.

Built on a 250,000 sq. ft. forested plot, the urban family wanted a modern home to enhance their communion with nature, both internally and externally, while serving as a peaceful retreat enabling family members to reconnect with each other, and to also enjoy solitary moments.

The Apple Tree

During the very first explorations of the concept, the architects sought a sensitive approach for drawing nature inside of the house, while the owner embraced vivid childhood memories of growing up in an orchard environment. The apple tree was symbolic of his earliest encounters with nature as a child, and of the continuity of that connection years later while picking apples with his own children, part of an enduring tradition of quality time spent with the family in nature’s embrace. The apple tree was instantly incorporated into their collective vision, becoming the core of the project.

“The nostalgia of the orchard setting provoked a sincere and pure emotion, and we immediately knew that we had to incorporate an apple tree at the heart of the project in order to sow the seeds of the family's future history,” explains Maxime-Alexis Frappier, partner and co-founder of ACDF. “It became a central pillar for connecting the architecture, the house, and the family.”