Blok

Adrien Williams

• 建築家

Blok is a rustic retreat ideally located at the top of a natural climbing wall in the heart of Mount Le Maelstrom in Lac-Beauport, offering a perfect refuge for climbers.

With its asymmetrical shape and grey stucco materiality, this monolithic volume with angular edges evokes a climbing block. The irregularly arranged openings resemble climbing holds, creating a façade that, like a climbing route, guides the gaze and the ascent. Inside this square plan, heated spaces coexist with sheltered outdoor areas, increasing the living spaces’ surface area, while providing an immersive experience in the heart of nature.

photo_credit Adrien Williams — Adrien Williams

Entering through the truncated corner of the volume, one first discovers the outdoor spaces, protected from the elements and prying eyes. On the ground floor, walls allow climbers to practice their sport, while a spa invites relaxation between training sessions. Upstairs, the terrace provides a convivial space for cooking and sharing meals, all while contemplating the surrounding nature.

The heated spaces also extend over multiple levels. On the ground floor, the bedrooms enjoy the calm and intimacy of the surrounding forest. Upstairs, the living spaces benefit from abundant light and unobstructed views of the landscape. Perched above the kitchen, a spacious mezzanine accommodates a larger number of guests. All the spaces are clad in wood, creating a harmonious visual continuity between the interior and exterior living areas, while contrasting with the raw, mineral character of the building’s envelope.

Technical sheet

Area: 635pica. (59 mc.)

Team project: Guillaume Fafard et Gabriel Lemelin

Contractor: Nomad Construction

Engineer: MA-TH Solutions d’ingénierie

Project completion date: 2024

Photographer: Adrien Williams

About Quinzhee

Founded in 2013, the Quinzhee firm is in the image of this typical dwelling: playful, ecological, and Nordic. Through its mandates, the firm aims to raise its clients' architectural and ecological awareness by integrating them into the creative process of their projects. For Quinzhee, communication and the sharing of ideas are essential and represent the foundations of an innovative, quality project. By getting all parties involved to think about a building's occupancy and the environment in which it will be set, the firm can properly assess the range of possibilities offered by the project, and then target the most promising solution.

Driven by an insatiable thirst for creation, Quinzhee offers a diversified field of expertise, collaborating on projects of all scales: from architecture to urban planning, from furniture design to ski manufacturing. The firm believes that combining disciplines is essential to nourishing one's passion for creation.

Whether it be a house, a commercial space, an ephemeral installation, or even a piece of furniture, Quinzhee puts all its creativity at the service of its customers and their objectives. From the firm's headquarters in Quebec City's Saint-Sauveur district, they extend their playground far beyond the Quebec Metropolitan Community, with just one prerequisite: to have fun designing projects differently.