Designer: La Firme

Keeping it in the family (and dry)

An hour outside of Montreal, Saint-Placide suffers from occasional flooding when Lac des Deux-Montagnes swells in the spring. When La Firme designed a new country house at the water’s edge in 2016, it was set on pilings 30 centimeters taller than the high-water mark. It was one of the few houses spared by the next year’s record flood.

The house was designed to be shared by a brother and sister and their families. Five bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and distinct common and private areas, were built into it and wrapped in an envelope of welcoming comfort.

Large windows on both floors look out on the lake, making the space feel yet more open and airy, while a radiant heating system embedded in the first-storey flooring keeps things cozy. For outdoor intimacy, the house’s terrace is sheltered by an overhang and adjacent local hemlock sidings. The two roofs meet at an offbeat but esthetic and practical angle. These are just some of the reasons that make Saint-Placide a special place for an extended family to get together.