TO SEE:
Originally built as a small storage space by the first owner who was a lumberjack, the shed was later rearranged into a forest refuge by subsequent owners. La Colombière represents the completion and third phase of this simple one-story construction in a true three-story retreat.
In an attempt to preserve the surrounding nature, the building’s footprint was left intact. This new phase was inspired by the natural growth of trees. The connection of the tree / house to the ground remains the same while growing vertically and developing an aerial volume reminiscent of tree canopies.
By following such principles, the extension was done without any cut trees or heavy machinery, which could have spoiled the natural environment offered by the forest. The dizzying interior of La Colombière is a space painted white. The materials and structure of the previous phase are maintained and uninterrupted so that the addition acts as an extension rather than an insertion.
On the first floor, a simple space with an exposed structure provides a direct link between the rooms and to the forest floor. On the upper floors, each room opens onto a vast vertical axis hollowed out by an ultra-light stairwell, an aerial structure. On the top floor there is an outdoor terrace from which you can admire the surroundings.
La Colombière is a refuge perched in the forest that reminds us of bird huts.
Award of Excellence from the Ordre des Architectes du Québec, 2015
Photos: Francis Pelletier
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