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By : MUUK Architecture
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 16th edition
Discipline : Architecture
Categories : Commercial Building / Factory & Warehouse : Silver Certification
Categories : Special Award / Architecture + Aluminium : Platinum Winner
Categories : Special Award / Architecture + Stairs : Gold Certification
HOUSE « DU CÔTÉ EST »
Potton, Qc Fall 2021
It was the perfect place to land: a welcoming plateau, open to the West, overlooking the Missisquoi valley with its forests and sunsets. Naturally invited on the soft piece of land, the house “du Côté Est” gently emerged, sparing all nearby trees and limiting its impact on the land.
With its gable roof and its unadorned style, the house sits low and long, close to the ground, undisturbed even in the strongest winds. The wood of the exterior siding (eastern white cedar) will season over time, reflecting the life of the building and its relationship with the elements. With a dark metal roof, vertical planks and two natural stone chimneys, the house and its materials reflect the architectural tradition of the Eastern Townships and the history of the region.
Shaped around native shrubs, a front courtyard welcomes visitors and leads them to a broad protected entrance. As they walk past the windowed facade, their attention is captured by the transparency of the wall and the pool of light that fills the interior.
Inside, the house reveals its true nature. A simple main space, open and forthright, in which living areas are organized in a row.
At both ends, the chimneys rest solid. One inside, the other outside, they frame the house and bring texture, warmth and strength. As one gets closer to warm themselves, they are enticed to touch the beautiful stones…
At one end, invited by the ample space around the chimney, one curiously circles the masonry to discover the staircase that leads to the garden level; At the other end, the outdoor chimney is met by the extended roof. Whether one chooses this spot on the exterior terrace to sit by the fire, or to simply enjoy a warm beverage, their gaze will inevitably be drawn to the distant valleys, and time will stop…
Simple and light, the architectural grid is marked by visible steel trusses. The ceiling is magnified, the different areas below are well-defined, and, playing with the shadows of the structure, the sun floods the space by the triangular windows of the upper walls. The balance between the deep color of the natural wood of the ceiling and the luster of the polished concrete floor creates a unique atmosphere where warmth and modern lines coexist.
Sturdy, simple and full of light, truly, this house is made to live.
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