Architecture Wednesday: Cap St-Martin House

First things first … it’s black, and I love a black, or maybe dark, dark gray, house. It’s so slimming and elegant and really goes with everything.

This home, the Cap St-Martin residence sits at the end of a long winding path, in Potton, Canada in the midst of other, secondary homes isolated from each other by the forest, but facing Lake Memphremagog; the descent to the lake from Cape St-Martin is steep, but a staircase helps take you down.

In addition to being black, it’s also been designed in the ‘barnhouse’ style—a black barn? I could die—but was also designed to be open to nature along both sides of the main part of the home.

As you approach, you’ll see two gable roofs; the smaller one houses the loft for guests, above a garage, as well as the art studio for the client. This section of the home is connected to the main volume by a glass tunnel with views to the forest and the lake.

The main home is mostly taken up by the great room, also with expansive views to the lake on one side ,and into the woods on the other. This central room contains the living, dining and kitchen spaces, and is designed as a gathering place. At the far end, just beyond the kitchen is a covered terrace to enjoy the outdoors.

Stairs lead to a catwalk that crosses the main space as it leads you to the bedrooms, all with views of the lake; the master bedroom has its own terrace and views.

It’s not so big, though the spaces seem so, and it’s like a barn, and it’s black, and it’s on a lake … Me want.

Arch Daily

Bourgeoisle Chasseur