Sited between the Saint Lawrence River and agricultural lands, The Nest House explores the relationship between humans, nature and architecture by proposing a new form of collective cohabitation.

Following the client’s desire to leave the city and return to his roots, The Nest House is located in Baie-Saint-Paul, in the Charlevoix region. The objective of the project is to create a family home for the client’s growing children, that respectfully integrates the grandiose landscape of the St. Lawrence River.

The Boisé du Quai, located near the site, serves as a conceptual starting point for the project. The forest marks the landscape with its unique character, contrasting the large expanses of land that adjoin it. By defining several theoretical steps of approach, the varied forms and sensory experiences offered by the woods are explored and reinterpreted. The forest’s edge is perceived as a homogeneous, regular and rhythmic surface by the outside observer. It is expressed as the simple interface of the house to its context. The woods, once penetrated, reveal themselves as a rich, complex, and generous setting. This, along with the feeling of constant discovery, informed a variety of house’s interior spaces. The clearings, taking the form of several interior courtyards throughout the house, are private outdoor spaces. These small, unsuspected interior worlds are not seen from the outside but revealed when exploring the interior of the house. The upper floor, where the bedrooms are located, reads like a tree house. It is quiet and secluded, offering new perspectives of the woodland and the environment beyond. Finally, the rock, present long before the woodland itself, is the oldest existing element within the geological context. The rock anchors the ensemble in its history, in the same way that the preserved foundation of the existing bungalow acts as a central element of the project, orienting all new interventions.

The architecture follows a biophilic approach. With the objective of encouraging a dialogue between humans and nature, a living screen was developed to wrap and protect certain portions of the house. It provides a habitable interstice for living species such as climbing vegetation and birds. In addition to being a shelter for local biodiversity, the screen composes a rich sensorial experience for the occupants. The crisp smells of greenery, the gentle melodies of birds, the shimmering effect of rain drops on the leaves, the changing colors marking the passing of the seasons together participate in a singular and specific-to-site experience. Created in a simple manner with natural local wood slats, the screen’s repetitive and undulating rhythm gives a perception of depth and complexity to the building’s facades. All the while, it acts as a visual filter for luminosity, and offers privacy to the occupants.

These inhabited walls dissolve the boundaries between humans and their environment, creating a rich and unique sensory experience while encouraging a close relationship between species.