Photo credit: Raphaël Thibodeau
Born from the desire to build a pet-friendly rental cottage in Mont Tremblant, Canada, Atelier L’Abri presents Kanata Cabin. This home blends in functionality and minimalism within an extremely compact building. The silver-clad house distinguishes itself from other residential buildings by its simplicity and elegance snuggled in the forested hills of the Canadian Laurentians.
This single-bedroom cottage includes a screened porch, an efficient living and kitchen space, and an exterior hot tub. The cabin expresses simplicity through its vernacular gable-shaped roof and a distinctive arched doorway directly framing sights of the Boreal Forest. Developed by Charles-Édouard Dorion, Vincent Pasquier, Nicolas Lapierre, and Francis Martel-Labrecque, the cottage provides the perfect getaway for nature lovers with pets, who would want to enjoy the peace and coziness of the mountain.
While spatially small, the cottage’s high cathedral ceiling, naturally lit living spaces, and sweeping views of the surroundings lend to its feeling of grandeur. Silver-colored wood cladding, interrupted by vertical baguettes, wraps around the building’s minimally adorned exterior. Over time, the wood planks will slowly weather, allowing the house to blend in with the deciduous trees and reinforcing its harmonious relationship with its environment.
Housing 650 square feet, the building’s volume is a nod to the pet-friendly nature of the cottage. An integrated small arched nook in the kitchen island cabinetry provides a cozy space for visitors and their pets to enjoy their getaway.
The small structure’s exterior walls are constructed using 2×8 studs to achieve performance levels higher than standard constructions. This framing detail enables using bio-sourced recycled cellulose fiber as the primary insulation material, reducing the building’s carbon footprint. Last, the house is built on a structural slab, which reduces cost, construction time, materials, and the overall carbon footprint.
The cost-effectiveness is implemented to promote better practices in the built environment. This practice is integral to Atelier L’Abri and their commitment to exploring ways to construct sustainably. Based in Montreal Atelier L’Abri advocates for innovative architectural solutions, putting forward wellness and the human as well as the social character of our environments.
Affectionately named ‘La Niche’ by its owners, the dwelling’s somewhat naïve shape evokes the image of a doghouse in the landscape. With its hyper-optimized plan, architectural simplicity, and refined interior details, the Kanata Cabin project offers a truly unique experience that seamlessly integrates with the environment and caters to its diverse users.
Source: v2com
