- Project: La Tierce House
- Architect: Boom-Town
- Location: Canada, Laurentides, Quebec
- Year: 2022
- Photography: Raphaël Thibodeau
A Lakeside Retreat Shaped by Landscape
Set on a steep, forested slope beside a lake in the Laurentides region, La Tierce by Atelier BOOM-TOWN is a residence that understands and honours its landscape. The design splits into three pitched-roof volumes clad in oxidised cedar boards—evoking rural vernacular architecture—connected by flatter roofed laminated-timber structures that trace the slope, the trees and the views.
The architecture responds to the land: two of the volumes project out above the slope toward the lake, creating protected terraces beneath, while the third and connecting elements allow for movement and shifting experience from cliff to canopy to water. Large windows, long horizontal planes and timber elements ensure that the home constantly opens to the wooded site and shimmering lake beyond.
Concept: Tradition Re-interpreted
Atelier BOOM-TOWN approached La Tierce with a dual ambition: to make a home that felt rooted in place and time, yet undeniably contemporary. The pitched cedar volumes reference rural out-buildings of the past, while their modern execution—clean lines, open interiors, expansive views—places the home firmly in the present.
This interplay of old and new allows the project to act both as a quiet observer of nature and as an active participant in it. The flat-roofed connectors become transitional zones—spaces of flow and pause where timber beams, glass, and nature meet. The overall composition is less a static object and more a sequence of experiences: entering the forest, ascending the slope, encountering water, pausing in the house, stepping out onto the terrace.
Materiality & Atmosphere
A refined yet rustic material palette anchors the home in its setting. Oxidised cedar cladding carries the volumes visually into the forest; the timber’s natural aging blends over time with its surroundings. Inside, laminated-wood structure and generous glazing keep the palette warm, tactile and open. Stone, glass and metal are used sparingly — so that timber, light and landscape dominate.
The atmosphere is calm, introspective and richly sensory: the cedar warms in late afternoon light; shadows of trees dance on glass walls; water and wood combine to make living both secure and expansive. Because the building embraces the slope and forest, seasons become part of the architecture: snow on cedar, leaves filtering light, a glimpse of lake through bare branches.
Integration with Site & Nature
Far from dominating its context, La Tierce seeks harmony with it. The generous use of glazing, terraces and cantilevered volumes all serve to blur boundaries between inside and outside. The flat connectors provide sheltered outdoor rooms; the cedar volumes hover above, giving views and presence without overwhelming the site.
From vantage points inside, the lake is never far — often glimpsed through trees or framed by timber uprights. The terrain is respected rather than erased: the house is embedded in the slope and oriented to optimise views, light and privacy. The outdoor terraces feel like natural extensions of the interior, enabling living in symbiosis with the forest and water beyond.
Architectural Significance
La Tierce stands as a mature example of how residential architecture can engage with nature, materiality and memory without resorting to spectacle. It shows that luxury can be subtle—grounded in landscape, crafted in timber, and quiet in presence. For architects and clients seeking homes that matter—homes that become part of place rather than isolated objects—this project offers clear lessons.
In La Tierce, Atelier BOOM-TOWN has created a house that feels timeless and timely. Strongly rooted in its Canadian forest-lake context, it also speaks to global concerns: sustainability, material honesty, emotional connection to site. It is a dwelling that invites you in, frames you out, and lets you breathe.
