ARCHITECTURE

Mountain Modernism is nestled into a densely forested hillside with sweeping views of the Mont-Tremblant valley. The 16-foot wide house, designed to be prefabricated, can be driven on local roads and delivered to site. This compact house fits two bedrooms, one bathroom and an open-plan living space into 930 square feet. The living space, flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides, is organized around a central wood stove that rotates 360°, providing relaxing views of the fire from every angle.

The skin and bones of the house were built almost entirely out of sustainably-forested native wood. The house’s exterior is wrapped in 2-1/2” custom-milled white cedar boards, a low-maintenance choice that will ensure hinterhouse ages graciously while blending with the surrounding forest. The interior is clad with red pine planks oiled white. The central service block is covered with ebony-stained Douglas fir plywood. Sliding shutters help control the light and privacy at hinterhouse. The shutters were designed to mimic the siding; the gaps in the shutters align with the channels in the cedar cladding.

The house can transform and close up completely for protection from the elements, or slide open to allow the light and views in. A winding staircase carved out of the hillside leads down to a sauna designed as a replica of the main house. To complete the full cycle of hot, cold, relax in the Scandinavian spa experience, the sauna is equipped with an outdoor cold shower and hanging hammocks.