House in the woods

Derived from the archetypal image of the house, Jean Verville developed a graphic assemblage for this cottage in Canada to stimulate the imaginary of its inhabitans, a couple with two children.

Jean Verville, Fahouse, Eastern Townships, Quebec, 2016

Nestled in the privacy of a hemlock forest in Eastern Townships, Quebec, Fahouse presents a shape that resembles childhood tales. Exploiting the contrasts between opacity and light, architect Jean Verville developed a graphic assemblage, derived from the archetypal image of the house.

Conceived for a couple of young professionals and two children, the cottage revisits the family home settings exploring an imaginary closely linked to the site, its occupants and their actual way of living the family life. The close complicity with these clients during the design process, and the playfulness distinguishing their parent-children relationship, empowered the architect’s intervention.

The architect emphasized the elongated shape of the land by a promenade along the blind wall of the first of two volumes. A wide exterior staircase reveals the natural slope, leading to the ground floor and welcoming people under an imposing cantilever that defines a covered terrace. The large opaque door opens into a vibrant lobby that extends to the mysterious forest. The living area enjoys glass walls, allowing nature to slip inside.

The second volume is the parents’ house, which looks like a beehive composed of a succession of cells each offering a distinctive ritual. In contrast to the peaceful bedroom, the family showers offers a bright graphic display.

Fahouse, Eastern Townships, Quebec, Canada
Program: single family house
Architect: Jean Verville
Team: Jessica Bouffette, Olivier Grenier, Martine Walsh
Main contractor: Ulys Collectif
Area: 579 sqm
Completion: 2016

House in the woods

Derived from the archetypal image of the house, Jean Verville developed a graphic assemblage for this cottage in Canada to stimulate the imaginary of its inhabitans, a couple with two children.

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