Architects Directory 2020: Atelier Barda, Canada
Both graduates from the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Toulouse in France, Cécile Combelle and Antonio Di Bacco joined forces to set up Atelier Barda in Montreal in 2013. Their work spans all scales and typologies, from new-build architecture to furniture design (through their product division, Foraine), always rooted in a personal approach, intuitive design and rigorously researched solutions. Maison Gauthier in Canada’s Mont-Tremblant displays their minimalist aesthetic and attention to detail.
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.'
MORE FROM WALLPAPER* ARCHITECTS DIRECTORY 2020
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
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
DAB 1α electric motorbike is the first product from French manufacturer DAB Motors
The DAB 1α is an all-electric motorbike born out of industrial design, gaming culture and aviation technology, and now available to order
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The 2024 Ivor Novello nominations for songwriting have been revealed
77 British and Irish songwriters and composers make up this year's nominees, announced tonight at London's Groucho Club
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Why Bollinger’s La Grande Année 2015 champagne is worth celebrating
Champagne Bollinger unveils La Grande Année 2015 and La Grande Année Rosé 2015, two outstanding cuvées from an exceptional year in wine-making
By Melina Keays Published
-
Downs House II inspires West Coast Modern campaign in Vancouver
Downs House II, currently on the market in Vancouver, inspires a West Coast Modern campaign to save the modernist landmark
By Hadani Ditmars Published
-
Toronto’s Rolex boutique wows with dynamic façade
This Rolex boutique in Toronto features a dynamic, wavy façade in CNC-cut limestone created by local architecture studio Partisans
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Promenade Samuel-de Champlain is a riverside boulevard championing urban green
Promenade Samuel-de Champlain in Quebec gives the city’s river back to its community, transforming a previously neglected urban space
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Chez Léon is a contemporary Canadian retreat in the Quebec countryside
This Canadian retreat, an elegant update of the classic cabin in the woods, is part ski lodge, part tree house, combining traditional materials and stunning views with a light footprint
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
House in High Park is a Toronto home to be discovered slowly
House in High Park by Ian MacDonald Architect is a new-build home in Toronto that takes a problematic plot and transforms it into an exhilarating, contemporary residence
By Ellen Himelfarb Published
-
This Québec school evokes a calming atmosphere in tune with nature
This redesigned Québec school inspires a new paradigm in its architecture genre by creating a welcoming, home-like and nature-inspired environment
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Canvas House’s wavy brick façade stands out in its suburban Toronto context
Canvas House by Partisans brings a wavy brick façade to its sleepy Toronto suburban neighbourhood
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Discover Dyde House, a lesser known Arthur Erickson gem
Dyde House by modernist architect Arthur Erickson is celebrated in a new film, premiered in Canada
By Hadani Ditmars Published