Maison Gauthier combines two highly coveted architectural qualities; a strong contemporary character, through its clean, geometric minimalism and masterful use of materials, and a powerful sense of place, as it sits rooted in its rural locale bringing to mind agricultural buildings (stables and horse-breeding centres were among its creators' key references).
Designed by Cécile Combelle and Antonio Di Bacco's Atelier Barda, the project, located in Quebec’s Laurentians region, is not only a highly accomplished piece of architectural work; it also holds a special place in the architects' heart. ‘[It] is certainly the project that best defines our current residential practice,' they say. ‘It is the culmination of a process linking our clients’ great confidence in our ideas with close collaboration with the contractor during construction.'
The clients, a passionate potter, and a retired business executive, outlined a brief for a private residence that includes a ceramics studio. Their love for American minimalist painters influenced the house's simple geometric shapes in the design of the interior volumes, says the team. ‘We immediately appreciated the contrast between their interest in raw, minimalist art, the rustic character of farm stables and the elegance of horses and the equestrian world.'
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An asymmetric V shaped floorplan combines two distinct wings, one for the studio and another for the garage, with a generous living area at the heart of the composition. A curved corridor connects the two wings.
Soft lines and tactile, raw materials (notably brick, lime and oiled oak) create an interior that feels both modern and cocooning. Attention to detail and immaculate craftsmanship are also key in the overall feel; which comes naturally for an architecture studio that works on all scales and also features a product design division.
‘We consider this house to be characteristic of our current architectural practice, because it expresses the phenomenological, intuitive, analogue approach as well as the idiosyncrasies of our studio’s unique design vocabulary,' say the architects.
INFORMATION
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Each mundane object tells a story at Pace’s tribute to the everydayIn a group exhibition, ‘Monument to the Unimportant’, artists give the seemingly insignificant – from discarded clothes to weeds in cracks – a longer look
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Discover The Legacy, Hong Kong’s eye-catching new condoThe Legacy, by ACPV Architects Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, is a striking new condo tower that aims to ‘create a sense of community and solidarity among people’
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In BDSM biker romance ‘Pillion’, clothes become a medium for ‘fantasy and fetishism’Costume designer Grace Snell breaks down the leather-heavy wardrobe for the Alexander Skarsgård-starring Pillion, which traces a dom/sub relationship between a shy parking attendant and a biker
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The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthFrom Malibu beach pads to cosy cabins blanketed in snow, Wallpaper* has featured some incredible homes this month. We profile our favourites below
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Explore the riches of Morse House, the Canadian modernist gem on the marketMorse House, designed by Thompson, Berwick & Pratt Architects in 1982 on Vancouver's Bowen Island, is on the market – might you be the new custodian of its modernist legacy?
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Cosy-up in a snowy Canadian cabin inspired by utilitarian farmhousesInspired by local farmhouses, Canadian cabin Timbertop is a minimalist shelter overlooking the woodland home of wild deer, porcupines and turkeys
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Buy yourself a Sanctuary, a serene house above the British Columbia landscapeThe Sanctuary was designed by BattersbyHowat for clients who wanted a contemporary home that was also a retreat into nature. Now it’s on the market via West Coast Modern
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La Maison de la Baie de l’Ours melds modernism into the shores of a Québécois lakeACDF Architecture’s grand family retreat in Quebec offers a series of flowing living spaces and private bedrooms beneath a monumental wooden roof
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Peel back maple branches to reveal this cosy midcentury Vancouver gemOsler House, a midcentury Vancouver home, has been refreshed by Scott & Scott Architects, who wanted to pay tribute to the building's 20th-century modernist roots
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A spectacular waterside house in Canada results from a radical overhaulSplyce Design’s Shoreline House occupies an idyllic site in British Columbia. Refurbished and updated, the structure has been transformed into a waterside retreat
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Hilborn House, one of Arthur Erickson’s few residential projects, is now on the marketThe home, first sketched on an envelope at Montreal Airport, feels like a museum of modernist shapes, natural materials and indoor-outdoor living
