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La maison Orford
By : Thellend Fortin Architectes
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 17th edition
Discipline : Architecture : Grand Winner
Categories : Special Award / Architecture + Wood : Gold Certification
Categories : Special Award / Architecture + Landscape : Gold Certification
Categories : Residential Building / Cottage & Country House : Gold Certification
Categories : Residential Building / Prestige House : Gold Certification
Categories : Residential Building / Private House > 2 000 pi2 (> 185 m2) : Gold Certification
This single-family home is located in the heart of the Eastern Townships, right next to Parc national du Mont-Orford. Immersed in maple and fir forests, it offers its residents a spectacle that changes with the seasons, from the blazing colors of autumn to the verdant awakening of spring.
A double-sloped roof, wood siding and metal cladding take up the codes of vernacular vocabulary through a simple volume. The dominant verticality is emphasized by the rhythm of the facade, and counterbalanced by a series of horizontal gestures (projection of canopies in particular).
The three storeys follow one another in analogy with the tripartite composition of the woodlands – the first rooted in the ground, the second open on all sides and the third nestled in the canopy. A sculptural staircase links them in a gesture reminiscent of a folded sheet of paper. The diagonal it draws through the space, unique within the project, is the image of the fluid movement that runs through it.
The slope of the site is used to create a promenade winding gently through the trees. This promenade serves the main building and its garden pavilion, before rising to form a peripheral terrace.
With minimal impact on its host site, the project adopts a rational environmental approach. The landscaping is enriched by the presence of mature trees, and the topography is put to good use in the sequencing of spaces. The compactness of the building also maximizes energy savings despite its large surface area.
