La Conception III by Nicolas Chaudier
La Conception III sits in La Conception, Canada, as a house by Nicolas Chaudier architecte that works with the grain of its wooded hillside site. Local cedar, deep glazing, and stratified volumes respond to the forest while organizing family life inside. Interior rooms track a gentle shift from communal living to more private zones, so the house feels rooted in its setting and tuned to daily routines.
Cedar boards catch the late afternoon sun while deep shadows gather in their joints. From the forest clearing, the house reads as stacked timber bands stepping with the slope.
This is a house in La Conception, Canada, drawn up by Nicolas Chaudier architecte in 2023 as a compact retreat tuned to its Laurentian setting. Layered cladding, generous glazing, and carefully sequenced rooms work together so construction, light, and daily rituals share the same rhythm. Material decisions stay close to the site, from local cedar outside to wood-lined ceilings and dense concrete underfoot.
Inside, the arrangement follows a clear gradient from shared activity to quiet rest, which also supports acoustic comfort and a sense of calm. Living rooms sit close to the forest edge, while bedrooms step upward and inward, gaining distance from the social core. A rooftop terrace extends those upper rooms directly into the trees, folding private outdoor life into the structure.
Layered Timber Envelope
Around the exterior, local cedar planks wrap the house in horizontal bands that recall brittle geological layers. Each course projects or recesses slightly, trading flatness for depth and casting sharp drop shadows across the façades. Setbacks carve out canopies and terraces where the layers pull back, while projections harden into edges that filter views toward the surrounding Laurentian Forest. The cladding weathers toward a silvery tone, so the volumes settle quietly among rocks, grasses, and undergrowth.
Living Level On Grade
At ground level, large panes of glass slide between the cedar bands, drawing the tree line straight into the main living area. A polished concrete floor catches this light and reflects it upward, keeping the room bright even as the forest thickens outside. Darker built-in cabinetry and a compact black stove anchor one side, while a simple wood coffee table and deep sofa keep the furnishings low and unobtrusive. Movement from kitchen to sitting area stays open and fluid, always skimming the view rather than turning away from it.
Quiet Interiors In Wood
A continuous wood ceiling runs across the main level, softening acoustics and knitting together the different functions below. White walls and pared-back joinery frame the outdoors instead of competing with it, so the forest reads as the dominant color. In the bathroom, a single square window fills the end wall above the tub, turning bathing into a direct look toward the trees. Simple fixtures and pale tile keep the room calm, allowing the texture of water, light, and foliage to lead.
Rooftop Terrace Among Trees
Higher up, the stratified volume gives way to an intimate rooftop terrace cut into the layered mass. This outdoor room acts as an extension of the upstairs bedrooms, enlarging their footprint without expanding the house outward. Timber decking, a modest railing, and the vertical grain of the surrounding cladding keep the experience tactile and close to the building fabric. From here, residents stand level with the tree canopy, surrounded by foliage yet still connected to the quiet structure below.
As the day cools, the cedar shell deepens in color and the interior glows against the forest floor. Light skims across concrete and wood, tying together exterior layers and interior rooms in one continuous register. The house rests in its clearing, its stratified envelope and calm finishes giving daily routines a steady, material frame.
Photography by Fred Tougas
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