Located in Eastman, in the Eastern Townships, a parcel of land in a newly subdivided residential development was chosen by a young, pre-retired couple as the site for the construction of a second home.
The mandate was to design a house that would accommodate both remote work and family gatherings, but above all, one that would magnify the many qualities of a vast wooded lot.
The adjacent lots, still untouched, were expected to be developed in the coming years. It was therefore essential to carefully position the residence to preserve its privacy, both from the street and from future neighbors.
Among the trees, the only visible sign of human presence was a well-trodden path crossing the site, used by hikers in the summer and cross-country skiers in the winter. This path ran near the center of the site, close to a distinctive topographical depression. It was this very location that would inspire the residence’s configuration.
The project takes the form of two volumes positioned perpendicularly: the first, a single-story structure with a flat roof, and the second, a two-story volume with a gabled roof. Following the site's topography, these two blocks are arranged in a staggered layout and connected by a landing staircase, giving the residence its multi-level floor configuration.
On the exterior, the building's materiality embraces light tones. A vertical cladding of white cedar, left to weather naturally to a silvery gray, wraps around the residence’s walls in response to the surrounding landscape, punctuated by tree trunks. In both summer and winter, the architecture blends seamlessly into its environment.
The first volume welcomes the occupants. The main entrance is marked by a recessed section that serves as a canopy. Once inside, a corridor covered in black quartzite tile distributes access throughout the building. At its ends, large openings extend circulation toward the outdoors. This volume houses the primary suite, consisting of the bedroom, its dedicated bathroom, and an office, along with technical functions such as the garage, a mudroom, and a hot sauna.
In the second volume, the living area is located on the upper floor in a generous space where the boundary between indoors and outdoors blurs. The kitchen, composed of three parallel countertops, is designed to facilitate movement within the living area. At the far end of the open space, the living room, framed by windows on three sides, benefits from a double-height ceiling, allowing everyone to gather around a wood-burning fireplace. Oversized windows extend directly to the surfaces of the countertops and floors, immersing occupants in the surrounding landscape.
Finally, the guest quarters are situated on the garden level of this second volume, offering direct access to the trails that wind through the woods.
By elevating the living area to the upper floor, Résidence A+F floods its spaces with natural light and provides its occupants with a daily immersion in Eastman’s wooded landscapes.
