243 Rue Bombardier, Gatineau

In an area with a very evident slope and also very exposed to the wind and hard weather, typical from this region, the relation with both the land and the surrounding nature became very relevant for the project development. A concrete wall meanders the land to Southeast creating the limit that the house and garden will occupy. To Northeast a second concrete wall, this one very straight and sharp, protects the house and the garden from the north wind and provides privacy. On top of these walls comes, also in raw concrete, a slab on the continuity of the existing slope that, covered with native species of fauna, leverage the relationship between the house and the existing land.

The entrance at north is set with the opening of an exterior parking area that articulates the street level with the house, protected by the concrete wall and yet to discover. In the interior the house is drawn by a sequence of spaces generated by plans or volumes that both contain program and create multifunctional areas in the transitions.

Near the entrance are the main social areas of the house such as the kitchen and the dining and living rooms leaving to a second place the private areas. The way in which the concrete wall is set in the land strategically creates four patios that bring light and heat to some areas of the house. To the front this house highlights the garden and the surrounding landscape with a glass facade. The exterior image of the house is intended to be at the same time very strong, with the natural concrete very present in the walls and covering but also camouflaged in the land with the green covering. On the other hand the interior is noted for a dichotomy between the concrete and more soft and natural materials like wood or stucco that contribute for a comfortable atmosphere inside.