Québec City-based architects Bourgeois Lechasseur have completed a set of contemporary cabins in the woods near the Canadian metropolis. Titled Reflection, the two identical cabins sit on a flat clearing close to Massif Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, a popular ski resort.
Despite the far-reaching scenic views, the cabins seek to engage guests with a close, intimate relationship with nature, creating lodgings that would “almost disappear among the trees.” This disappearing act is centered on a completely mirror-glazed main façade reflecting the surrounding woodlands, with darkened wooden slats covering the other three sides.
Several design moves were made to create continuity between the interior and exterior. The entrance to each cabin has been pushed inwards, with a light pine used to clad the ceiling of both the external patio and internal spaces. The dark wood cladding from the exterior façade also continues inside, lining the full length of the living area.
Inside, each cabin is designed to accommodate up to six people, with two enclosed bedrooms, a luxurious bathroom, a living/dining area with a fireplace, and an exterior spa. To enhance user privacy, the two cabins have been placed 50 meters (165 feet) from each other and orientated back-to-back, with one glazed living area facing east and the other facing west.
“A nostalgic yearning for nature resides deep in the minds of many Canadians, often conceived as rustic log cabins tucked away in the woods,” the architects explain. “Today’s travelers, however, seek comfort and poetry, something Reflection will also provide as guests immerse themselves in the surrounding forest.”
The project was delivered entirely through prefabrication, with each cabin consisting of two modules shipped to the site for assembly. On-site works included the pouring of a radiant concrete slab, mechanical connections being formed between the two modules comprising the unit, and the installation of the long-reflective glass wall spanning the length of the cabin.
Given the natural setting of the project, considerable attention was also given to avoiding bird collisions against the mirror facades. As a result, the mirrored glazing has been installed with bird deterrent window markers almost invisible to the human eye.
Quebec City is the capital of the province of Quebec and has a metro area population of 800,000. It's not a small town.
No shit eh? Not like I'm not aware... but no one considers Quebec City a métropolise... 90% of it's population is in suburban Sainte Foy. Pretty silly description.
All I see in those photos are trees and forests, plus a crane hook dangling with nothing on it. Seems like someone picked the wrong images, Archinect!
Beautiful, but we have to remember the impact of how many wildlife birds will fly into mirrors facades like this, which may not be so beautiful.
This is an example of how the design concept of immersion and blending is poetic but in reality may not fully consider the real existence of blending with the actual context.
Ok I take it back!!, I just read the design includes a bird deterrent window maker almost invisible to human eye. I love it!!!
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