House on the Cliff Edge in Canada
The architectural team of YH2 Architectes designed a private house in Sen-Fosten-Lac-Carre, Canada. The 300 square meter country residence is located in a picturesque natural setting, filled with light and fresh forest air. The house, situated on the edge of a cliff about an hour's drive from Montreal, is surrounded by beautiful landscapes and pristine lakes.
The project's core idea was based on two concrete blocks in vertical and horizontal forms, to which a fully glazed volume is attached. The main entrance and the owners' bedroom are located on the upper level of the three-story structure. Below, a small office/library is planned, adjacent to the dining area and kitchen. The lowest level of this vertical "box" includes a sauna and SPA zone.
A single-level horizontal block is positioned several meters away from the vertical part of the house. It is designed as a guest house and connects externally to the SPA zone. The intermediate level serves as the true heart of this home, featuring panoramic glazing that brings the surrounding forest inside. The living room opens to the outside, continuing onto a terrace organized on the roof of the guest block.
The predominant material used inside is redwood, chosen for its qualities and rich tones. In the daylight areas, floors, ceilings, beams, window frames, and kitchen cabinets are finished in dark wood reminiscent of the nature outside the windows. Corten steel and concrete are widely used in the external cladding.
Access to the house is provided via a metal walkway extending from the concrete garage next to the parking area. Walking across the bridge, especially on a foggy day, gives the feeling of floating in mid-air ahead of a treehouse.
