Break Residence, in Saint Hippolyte, Que.: Two faces, one dwelling

After spending summers and weekends on the household dwelling on the shore of Lake Revdor in Quebec’s Laurentian Hills for 60 years, Robert Heft knew what he wished in a brand new home when it got here time to interchange it.

“I knew the sunshine and the lake reflections for every season and knew how I wished the home to embed me in every.”

Heft approached Quebec architects MU Structure along with his concepts, and the architects turned it into actuality.

Viewing Break Residence from the road, then the lake, is like viewing two houses.

From the road, the home clad in darkly painted white cedar, has a comfy really feel with a landscaped space and huge rocks dotting the entrance yard.

The lake facet has two huge glass decks opening to the water.

Inside the home, an elevator hyperlinks all three flooring, and every bed room has its personal service space with espresso stations, a bar, washroom and balcony. The decrease stage comprises a visitor bed room and a den. The primary ground holds the kitchen, eating and dwelling rooms, an workplace and a storage. On the highest stage, there are three bedrooms and loos and one other den.

Break Residence took three years to design and construct and was accomplished in 2022.

“The entrance is the welcoming facet, like an embrace,” mentioned Heft. “The nice and cozy coronary heart of the home, the principle hearth, can be seen as you enter from the entrance. The view via the home to the lake hints at what awaits. The again of the home, faces south to the lake. From inside the home, that is the facet you’re drawn to, visually and bodily. It’s virtually solely glass and cantilevered balconies.

“I wished every stage to have a level of autonomy from one another. Every of the three ranges, whereas architecturally associated, has its personal persona. I needed to restrict disturbing this immersion in a single persona as a lot as doable.”

Architect Magda Telenga, of MU Structure, describes the challenge:

What was the inspiration for the house?

The lot could be very sloped and the lake is on its southern restrict. We knew these elements would affect the idea, and, certainly, the northern, higher part and the southern, decrease part created a fairly introverted and extroverted façade. As well as, the northern, street-facing façade supplies for privateness and the southern one for broad open views, considering nature and social gatherings.

Does the distinction translate into totally different emotions inside?

The strategically positioned giant openings present unobstructed exterior views and pure mild uniformity. The atmosphere, nevertheless, varies in line of the vertical axis. The decrease stage, with its pool desk and a mini bar, evokes lingering and downtime. The primary stage has a extra official character and the higher stage is non-public, quiet and family-oriented. Total, the design breathes calm and luxury. The big openings always orient the views to the outside.

What had been the challenges in designing and constructing the house?

The dimensions and profile of the lot had been undoubtedly a problem. The proprietor has sturdy ties with the encompassing group and insisted on constructing the home rather than a now demolished cabin, the place he spent his summers as a toddler. The challenge’s program had to slot in a restricted footprint, which, initially, resulted in a dense, three-storey block. By cautious extraction and extrusion of volumes, we managed to deconstruct the preliminary quantity and disguise its density, whereas offering visible penetrations and a snug inside circulate. This technique … resulted in huge balcony surfaces on every stage.

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