THE BOAT IN THE TREES

THIS CHALET BY MONTREAL-BASED PAUL BERNIER ARCHITECT IS INSPIRED BY THE OWNERS’ LOVE OF SAILING.

- PAUL BERNIER

With a vision to design a simple cottage where the occupants can sit around the fireplace and spend evenings reconnecting with the beautiful landscape around and rekindle their love for sailing and their affection for the outdoor, this home addresses passion and overcomes site challenges with elan.

The owners of this chalet are sailing lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. They had acquired this land on Lac des DeuxMontagnes in Oka, an area renowned for its sailing club and its exceptional body of water. So, a design inspired by a boat was kind of obvious. However, the site presented a major challenge. A very small area of the site was located outside of the 100-year flood line, which had to be kept intact as per urban planning regulations.

The clients and the architect however saw this as an interesting challenge and used the perimeter defined by the flood line to arrive at the footprint of the building, which in turn, sculpted its unique shape.