On the edge of Charlevoix in Quebec, a Canadian retreat by Quinzhee Architecture is a new private structure for winter escapes, set into the slope of a hill and raised up above the forest clearing on wooden pilotis. At a modest 129 sq m, the holiday residence is pared back and minimal in every respect, with a small concrete porch at ground-floor level, beneath a long living and sleeping area.
Chez Leon: step inside this Canadian retreat
This minimal footprint is all about reducing the house’s impact on the plot, further mitigated by the heavily insulated double framed walls and the use of an air exchanger and energy efficient heat pump to provide heating and cooling.
The accommodation is arranged simply. The porch contains a store room for skis and boots, alongside a bathroom, a laundry room and an external bike store. From here, stairs lead up to the main space, orientated south to overlook the St Lawrence River with a run of large bay windows.
Living, eating and sleeping is done up here in the treetops, with the stair lobby serving as a bulkhead between the zones. There are three modest compartment-style bedrooms, one of which is a bunk room, alongside a family bathroom at one end of the structure.
The other end is given over to an open-plan living and dining space, with a covered terrace at the far end opening off the kitchen.
The project is clad in cedar throughout, inside and out, with larger windows in the living area and more modest openings in the bedrooms. At the rear of the house is a secluded spa terrace with hot tub, above which rises the wooded slope of the mountain.
Overseen by architects Guillaume Fafard and Gabriel Lemelin, the project was completed in 2023. It marks the tenth anniversary of Quinzhee Architecture, a firm based in Quebec City's Saint-Sauveur district, and dedicated to designing ecologically sound and elegant projects in the wider region, from houses to commercial projects and even furniture.
