Just off the shores of Lac de la Cabane in St-Adolphe d’Howard, Quebec, the Estrade Residence caresses the sloped terrain with elegance. Designed by MU Architecture, the project was driven by careful and methodical placement.
The architects wanted a layout that would blend within its environment while becoming an extension of it – a notable distinction to make. The arrangement of every stone and pebble was carefully placed to blur the line between the naturally wild landscape and the fabricated one. Even the excavated stones from the construction were repurposed as landscape elements, tying the home to its surroundings even more.
The nature of the steep terrain gave the design a beautifully volumetric and sculptural air to it. The differently elevated levels play off one another creating a beautifully balanced and aesthetic composition, sort of reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water.
Rather than thick columns, the vertical supports are placed as thin piloti, keeping the visual focus on the dwelling itself and accentuating the sleek forms of its façade.
The exterior is a starkly contrasting combination of wood siding, and stone veneer, which almost seems to emerge from the earth along with the natural boulders it encompasses.
Unsurprisingly, the interior is designed with as much tact and creativity as the exterior. The home is covered in soft beige cedar, perfectly adjacent to much darker paneling and furniture. The dialogue of materials and colours brings out the interior space to pop boldly and stand out as not only a living space design but a work of art.
The unique shape of the home also makes for an interesting play between closed and open spaces, with some glass walls and doors separating the inside of the home while letting in an abundance of sunlight and exposing areas to the encircling landscape that the residence is so charmingly in sync with.
The Estrade house is an excellent case study of not only brilliant aesthetic design but sustainability.
The philosophy demonstrated here is one of vital importance to the future of not only architecture but our continued civilization: the built environment must be an extension of natural rather than a replacement. The approach to this project sets an example for true sustainability in design, and I applaud that.
Visit MU Architecture to check out their impressive body of work or -as fans of MU Architecture – check out these past posts on canadianrealestatehousingandhome.ca:
The Quebecoise Nook Residence by MU Architecture
A Rooftop Addition In Plateau Montreal By MU Architecture Studio
MU Architecture’s Malbaie VIII Residence In Charlevoix, Quebec
Photography provided by Ulysses Lemerise Bouchard.
Researched and Written by Mikhail Shchupak-Katsman, Undergraduate Environmental Design, OCAD University.
