Dans l’Escarpement
glass and wood pavilion

Shadows and light transform the places according to the hours and seasons

Via v2com

Previously published in WestmountMag.ca

To blend gently into nature. To be penetrated by light. On this wooded terrain, long considered too difficult to build on, the architects turned obstacles into advantages. In “Dans l’Escarpement,” a glass and wood pavilion now floats, blending seamlessly into the landscape.

On this wooded terrain, long considered too difficult to build on, the architects turned obstacles into advantages.

A fragmented layout was chosen here to limit the impact of the construction on the slope. Designed for a couple, the project comprises three living blocks constructed on a small plateau below the access path and connected to it solely by a walkway.

A first block, positioned vertically, rises over three levels. At the very top, you find the main entrance and the owners’ suite. An office/library area is arranged at the intermediate level, while the ground level houses a relaxation area, sauna, and spa, both indoors and outdoors. From the lower level, you can access the forest floor directly.

A second horizontal block, a concrete box anchored to the slope, serves as the guest quarters. Supported by these two blocks, a third volume, entirely glazed, houses the living areas, including the kitchen, living room, and dining room. The arrangement of these three elements has enabled the creation of two roof terraces that extend the living spaces, forming rare plateaus on the escarpment that lead to the lake.

The exterior material palette integrates the house with the surrounding forest. Corten steel and mahogany windows reflect the colours of the trees and the constantly changing foliage, while the exposed concrete resembles the large boulders characteristic of this site.

Inside, the space is defined by wood and clear glass. Shadows and light dominate, transforming the spaces according to the hours and seasons.

Technical specifications

Residence Dans l’Escarpement
Domain Valdurn
Saint-Faustin-Du-Lac-Carré, Canada

Design team at yh2:
Marie-Claude Hamelin, Loukas Yiacouvakis,
Karl Choquette, Étienne Sédillot
Maitre d’ouvrage : Alain Bélanger
Constructeur : Sébastien Turcot

About yh2

yh2 is an architectural design studio founded in 1994 by architects Marie-Claude Hamelin and Loukas Yiacouvakis. For yh2, architecture is the art of the place, both the external environment in which the project is situated and transforms, and the more intimate interior space it creates. The architectural project, resulting from a reflection focused on the landscape or the city, serves here as a tool for creating and transforming everyday life.

The agency aims to be a workshop for research and exploration of the architectural project, considered in its entirety. Particular care is given to the material, its spatial arrangement, and its theatricality. Everything is carefully studied, from architectural integration to the conceptual development of the project, from construction drawings to architectural details, and from interior design to furniture and object design. The concept is developed with an economy of means, with each element needing to be necessary for the overall composition to be retained.

yh2 has made the deliberate choice to focus on a limited number of projects. Led by the founding partners, the team gives its full attention to its projects, the quality of which has been repeatedly awarded over the years. For more information: www.yh2architecture.com/

Images: Maxime Brouillet

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