La Sentinelle by NatureHumaine, Canada

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View of exterior of grey building
La Sentinelle, designed by Canadian practice NatureHumaine, is sited on an empty plot of land in the Quebec Mountains
(Image credit: TBC)

Sloped roof shown from outside

Due to the constraints posed by the rocky terrain, the architects designed the family home atop a plateau

(Image credit: TBC)

View of building through the trees

The result is a two-level, L-shaped house with a folded sloping roof evocative of a bird's wing. 'We see the house as a bird sitting at the edge of the cliff overlooking the lake, which is where its nickname "The Sentinel" comes from,' says the firm's David Dworkind

(Image credit: TBC)

Outdoor staircase

An exterior staircase leads to the top level of the house, which contains the living spaces, the master bedroom and a guest room

(Image credit: TBC)

Large windows showing seating area inside

In order to minimise costs, the architects ensured that the house could be built without any steel beams, instead opting for a standard wood frame construction. The exterior is clad in dark grey Goodfellow wood and the roof is covered in ribbed steel sheets with a bronzed zinc finish

(Image credit: TBC)

Inside the kitchen/living area

The open plan living spaces lead out onto elevated wooden decking

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Close up of dining area next to kitchen

Contrasting wood grains add pattern to the interior

(Image credit: TBC)

Monochrome bathroom

One of the monochrome bathrooms

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Dressing area with large wardrobes

Dark surfaces are off-set with stark white ceilings

(Image credit: TBC)

Top of staircase looking down

With the clients – a surgeon and an engineer – requesting acoustic separation between the playroom and the master bedroom and guest room, the lower level was designated the 'kids' zone'

(Image credit: TBC)

Wooden staircase leading up

The dark wood staircase

(Image credit: TBC)

Ladder leading to top floor space

The kids' zone consists of the three boys' bedrooms and a games room that provides access to a football field next to the house

(Image credit: TBC)

Exterior view of building

With its prime location in the idyllic residential development, generous spaces, plenty of daylight and private access to the nearby lake, it is safe to say that La Sentinelle fulfils its brief and beyond

(Image credit: TBC)
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Ellie Stathaki
Ellie Stathaki

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).