It is called Atelier C and is the stunning residence designed by architect Nicholas Francoeur for a creative couple – she a writer, he a musician photographer – nestled in the verdant landscape of the Canadian region of Quebec.
The house, which combines sustainability and energy efficiency through passive heating, fits perfectly into its naturalistic surroundings in terms of concept, materials and architectural setting. Indeed, the starting point of the design was the owners’ desire for a single-pitch roof that would define a linear, simple volume, ideally part of the surrounding nature, within which there were mostly no clear separations.
The L-shaped floor plan of the house is defined externally by an essential and pure envelope, starting from the trapezoidal sheet metal roofing to the charred cedar lath facades, punctuated on the north front by narrow vertical openings, and on the south side by larger windows to allow for natural light.
This measured linearity is reflected in the interior, where the space is designed to accommodate everyday domestic life as much as work. This results in fluid, clear and bright spaces, with the sole exception of the kitchen, the beating heart of the dwelling and therefore deliberately intense in its colors, echoing the tones of the exterior envelope. For the realization of this environment, Lapitec was involved, which made the sintered stone countertops, a mixture of 100% natural minerals with no resins, inks or petroleum derivatives, and silica free.
Inside this spacious room, the kitchen (signed Hauteur d’Homme) is developed on between sides through base units, columns and central island for food preparation as well as a corner for daily conviviality. The front panels are made of dark lacquered wood while the top of the different areas is made entirely of Lapitec, in the Nero Antracite shade with Vesuvio finish and in the 12 mm thickness. In this kitchen by Hauteur d’Homme, the sintered stone has been processed and milled to place the washbasin, and thanks to its full-body composition it has the same colouring of the surface along the edge.
“From the ceilings at various heights to the music and writing studios conceived as open spaces, almost as passageways, and not as closed rooms,” comments the designer. “From the continuous contrasts of colour and material, to the bathroom with theatrical lights and a cavernous atmosphere, as if it were a wellness cave. Everything in this house is designed to stimulate creativity, but also to give its occupants the impression of being both alone and in company. There is a unique atmosphere.”
