The meandering shape of this beautiful house by Paul Bernier architect is determined by the opportunities offered by the surrounding landscape. The structure bends, opens, and narrows like a river carving its own path. The form is clad in a single material, with vertical cedar slats of varying width and thickness placed in an open-work manner.
From the path leading up to the entrance, the building appears as a mostly opaque volume that follows the contours of the site. Inside, visitors are greeted by a large hickory wall unit, shaped to offer seating and a place to hang away coats. It also directs one toward the living space, a large, generously-lit area that culminates in a cantilevered, screened room with a view of the mouth of the stream and the lake. On the south side, the exterior wall makes way for a large glazed surface that opens onto the forest. During summer, the trees, like the green roof, create a natural screen to shield the house from heat. In winter when the leaves have fallen, sunlight filters through the forest and floods the space with warmth and light.
