Beside Chalets is a minimal residence located in Montreal, Canada, designed by APPAREIL Architecture in collaboration with BESIDE. Designing architectural spaces that would contribute to protecting a centennial forest in Lanaudière; thus was the challenge that BESIDE gave to the APPAREIL Architecture team. Veritable ode to nature, the 75-cabin development was concentrated on a small portion of the vast 1254-acre terrain, so as to preserve the surrounding natural areas. The BESIDE chalets are inspired by the fundamental idea of a forest refuge. They marry design, minimalism and local materials. Through this project, the architecture firm puts forth compact and well thought-out living spaces, eliminating anything superfluous to maintain only the essential; a vibrant space where nature and architecture meet.

The main cabin’s volume draws from the collective imaginary of the cabin in the trees, of the welcoming home. Here perched in the trees, there sitting in the hollow of a hill, each model is designed to highlight the site, minimize its footprint on the ground, and offer unique experiences. The space is enveloped by generous panoramic windows that invite the forest and the landscape in. The benches as well as the sofa, imagined by APPAREIL Atelier, host an apparent-wood structure, proposing legs that are massive and rhythmed. Continuing in the spirit of raw materials, APPAREIL Atelier participated to create a collection of lamps designed by Lambert & Fils that lend a unique ambiance to the space, by using aluminum tubes with a textured surface whose patina is highlighted.

Photography by Félix Michaud

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