A dream perched on the rock

Before embarking on the construction of the house of their dreams, the owners of a vast lot on the mountainside of the Laurentians chose to discover it by staying in a trailer. This exploration allowed Alain Carle to design an organic architecture on a site defined by rock.

Muriel Francoise
special collaboration

At dusk, Alain and Jean-Pierre’s house is somewhat reminiscent of a Japanese lantern or pagoda pointing skyward. The subdued light that escapes from its large windows illuminates the surrounding forest. The 5-acre land purchased in Morin-Heights in 2019 is distinguished by its very steep relief. It is here, on the side of the cliff, that they decided to come and settle down after an intense career to let themselves be won over by the serenity of nature and share beautiful moments in the company of their loved ones.

Leaving Montreal for the green Laurentians, they went in search of a new way of life. To decide on the location of their house, they had no hesitation in setting up on the site beforehand thanks to a caravan borrowed from a family member. Over the days, a circulation, guided in large part by the sun, naturally emerged. Like a route with areas to eat, refresh, have fun, rest and admire the horizon.

A space articulated around three rocky plateaus where they commissioned the architect Alain Carle to draw the contours of their house, taking into account this tamed wild environment.

“Walking around the site, I discovered a large rocky cape with tables and chandeliers where the owners liked to party with their friends. It was their favorite spot. We therefore decided to build the house at this location, making sure to modify as little as possible the landscape structure that was already there,” he continues.

Transversal approach

A vertical architecture is obvious to respect the new habits of life of Alain and Jean-Pierre, but also the ecosystem of the forest with dense vegetation and crisscrossed by a pretty stream. “We wanted to cut down as few trees as possible so as not to damage nature, and to give the impression that the house had always been there,” says Alain.

Two pavilions, a two-storey day and a three-storey night, are connected by a glass passage leading to the large terrace perfect for outdoor entertaining. The relationship with the outside is at the heart of the reflections. The idea is to be able to open the house as much as possible to create a dialogue with nature.

The tall structure of the buildings evokes that of the trees that make up the landscape, and the position of the windows reveals different views of it. Large awnings also allow some of them to be left open in rainy weather. “When you’re in the forest, there’s something magical about hearing the rain fall. I didn’t want to lose this contact with nature”, points out Alain, who took care of the follow-up of the construction site with the contractor Dominic Toutant, as well as the landscaping of the site.

A mission strewn with obstacles in this very steep area and with a pandemic that has come to thwart the work schedule.

The importance of place

It is Alain Carle’s interest in the context in which his projects take place that has mainly encouraged owners to entrust him with the construction of their homes. An essential aspect of any realization which, in the era of the profusion of images on social networks, tends, according to the architect, to be relegated to the background.

Alain and Jean-Pierre did not have reference photos to support their discussions with the architect’s team. They had no preconceived idea of ​​what they wanted, but they are overwhelmed by their new domain. The constantly renewed spectacle of nature which they attend in a privileged way never ceases to surprise them.

“It’s different every day depending on the weather,” marvels Alain. When sleet covers the branches of the trees and the sun begins to shine, there are sparkles of light all over the house. »

To better allow the light to disperse in the space, the chairs in the dining room, framing a table with a top made from maple felled for the house, are translucent. One attention among many others to stay closer to nature and enjoy its benefits.