From its headquarters in Montreal, Quebec, APPAREIL Architecture prides itself on building commercial and residential structures that walk the rich middle ground between tradition and modernity. In its latest project, the celebrated firm has also managed to strike a delicate balance between the constructed edifice and the natural environment that surrounds it. Describing the Grand-Pic Chalet in the mountainous region of Austin, Quebec, an APPAREIL representative detailed his team’s specific objective “to let ourselves be guided and inspired by the terrain’s characteristics.” And what a terrain it is!
Located near the boarder of the US state of Vermont, the town of Austin and its outlying areas feature snowcapped peaks, expansive flatlands, and the massive glacial body of water known as Lake Memphremagog. All of these different ambiances factor heavily into the design of APPAREIL Architecture’s Grand-Pic Chalet. A striking residence with a rustic exterior of black cladding, this structure integrates seamlessly with the magnificent woods that envelope it, featuring parking on the periphery and a front pathway that leads visitors directly through the trees. Both the main Grand-Pic Chalet and its accompanying single-story cabin conjure images of distant mountains with their silver metal roofing. The interior is arranged around a structural core covered in Russian plywood, providing a perfectly natural backdrop for the evergreen surroundings. Echoes of Lake Memphremagog also resound in the structure’s capacious interior, which rests on a semi-reflective floor of granite tiling and stretches unbroken from room to room.