House by Lake Memphremagog in Canada

Located on the shores of Lake Memphremagog in Eastern Canada, this house was designed by ACDF* Architecture for a family originally from these parts, who currently live alternating between Montreal and Memphremagog.

In line with the very landscape of Lake Memphremagog, the house is built around the concept of openness, as if there were no physical boundaries. The architectural starting point was the main feature of the landscape—the picturesque beauty of its surroundings. Vast farmlands and valleys, visually bounded only by low fences and stone walls, stretch to the horizon and open into hilly terrain.

The characteristic fence of the local landscape was reinterpreted by architects as a continuous wooden strip wrapping around living spaces and forming window openings. Horizontal openings define panoramic views of forest, field, and lake.

The local architectural typology—wooden farm buildings and stone structures—has found a new interpretation to create a modern home that is wide open to the landscape.

Cedar wood panels begin as semi-transparent screens hiding the inner courtyard upon entering the house, later transforming into a more familiar opaque shell. The resulting wooden structure is firmly rooted in the ground thanks to concrete mass that retains traces of cedar, like petrified fossil wood. Over time, the wood will acquire a gray patina and the house will gradually blend more and more with its environment, perfectly matching the plant species already growing on the site.

Photography: Adrien Williams