Architect: Alain Carle Architecte
Location: Morin Heights, Quebec
Year of completion: 2011
Type of construction: Wood and steel
Cladding: Masonry and Toog wood
Area: 5,165 ft2
Photographer: Adrien Williams

This is a look at the main entrance of the house that appears to have separate structures of the same tone.

This is a closer look at the side of the house that showcases the brick exterior walls and various windows.

This is a close look at the large wooden elevated deck of the house with a set of steps and railings to lead to the main entrance.

This is a look at the back of the house showcasing an outdoor patio in between two structures and large glass windows and walls.

This is a close look at the interior of the house that has a modern fireplace by the large glass wall.

This is a look at the interior of the house from the vantage of the landing looking down at the hardwood flooring.

This is a side view of the staircase that has wooden banisters that match the hardwood flooring contrasted by the white walls.

This is a close look at the landing adorned with a large wooden tiki pole that pairs well with the hardwood flooring and wooden banisters.

This is a close look at the staircase with wooden steps to pair with the wooden built-in shelves on the side.

The white concrete beams above the stairs is adorned with a head sculpture display.

This is a look at the winter landscape outside the home.

This is an illustrated representation of the site plan showcasing the positions and angles of the structures.

This is a farther look at the site plan featuring the surrounding area of the house.

This is an illustration of the schema implantation for the house and its surrounding landscape.

This is an illustration of the house's schema and volumes side by side for comparison.

This is an illustration of the house's side elevation.

This is an illustration of the coupe elevation of the house featuring the supports.

This is an illustration of the coupe elevation of the house featuring the supports and sections of the house.

This is an illustration of the house's first level floor plan.

This is an illustration of the house's second level floor plan.

This is an illustration of the house's perspective showcasing the three structures.

This is a graphic illustration of the house's perspective with the three structures.

These are dual view of the house's perspective for the outdoor areas.

This is a graphic illustration of the house from the vantage of the back landscape.

This is a montage of images from the construction of the house.

Located on a mountainside, the site of the “Les Elfes” residence posed a singular problem of the horizon as a perceptual referent. The monumentality of the landscape presented to the observer from several rocky peaks was contradictory, in my opinion, with the scenic qualities required by the intimacy of the habitat. It was, therefore, necessary to design an anti-monument (following a
particularly extensive program) and create a sort of observation “device” by
way of a building.

To tame this monumentality and separate the “unique” view it imposes, I sought to fragment the landscape by distributing the volume of the building among several “blocks” oriented to specific points of view. The approach thus does not depend on a programmatic constraint, but rather on enhancing the perceptual experience within the habitat. Multiplying the points of view attenuated the scenic majesty guessed at the base of the cliff to bring out a series of modest landscapes created by the assembly of the constructed forms.

This fragmentation also evokes the spatial quality of the rock masses found on Laurentian summits, which create a sort of natural “lookout” bared of vegetation. The project preserves this quality by multiplying the exterior surfaces conducive to contemplation: looking instead of knowing. In cross-section, the “blocks” are half-buried and connected by places reserved for utilities. The appearance remains deliberately fragmented to better “frame” the views offered from the interior and the exterior.

A continuous Toog wood wall, like a thread, is deployed on the brick fragments and acts as a perceptual referent of the whole by creating a new horizon line. A more intimate small inner courtyard is formed by this wall and by the displacement of one of the blocks (that of the day rooms) in relation to the peak of the rock face abutting the complex. It serves as a counterpoint to the great terrace overlooking the valley, located opposite the same block accommodating the day rooms. This place offers a more limited view of the landscape in the morning light, which creates the everyday space of the two retired owners.

Materially, the brick cladding links the architectural reading of the exterior envelope to the stones seen from the site. The floors also are made of Toog wood, again offering a symbolic continuity with the “thread” and the soil. We proposed to paint the brick with lime for a clearer reading of the volumetric aspect of the components (especially in winter), but the owners preferred the traditional spirit of brick left bare. We repeated this attempt with the creation of the L’ÉCRAN house.