This Lakeside Family Home in Canada Celebrates the Life Aquatic—Both Indoors and Outside

Along the shores of Lac Saint-Francois, Bourgeois / Lechasseur Architects create a striking 6,800-square-foot home for a family that can't get enough of swimming and water sports.

Text by

Michele Koh Morollo

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The young couple and their three children love spending time on the water, and they lived in a small lakeside house in Adstock, Quebec, for five years. Their original house was in poor condition and had become too cramped for the growing family, so they decided to demolish most of the building and rebuild a warm and modern home that respects the environment along the edge of the lake.

The heart of the house features an indoor swimming pool where the kids can splash around—even in winter.

"The project is designed as a delicately carved volume, which nestled into the site following its topography. The formal gestures are strong and powerful, while the material—sandy beige wood and red cedar slats—are more delicate and warm," says Bourgeois.

The wood siding gives the house a cabin-like aesthetic.

The house has an exposed wooden structure and a large terrace with wide steps set over the basement of the original house.

The indoor pool room pairs cool concrete with warm wood accents.

The design brief called for a new residence with an exposed wooden structure that would integrate well with the site and make the most of the lake views, but also sit discreetly tucked away from the main road. After initial discussions with the architects, the family decided to add an interior pool to their new home.

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The pool is accessed by crossing the Paleolithic mosaic that adorns the walls of the shower.

The architects turned the original foundation of the old house into a large storage area. On top of the existing foundation, they built a terrace with a spa and wide stairs that lead down to the lake.

"The architectural gesture takes the form of an agora and becomes the cornerstone for the new house. The slope of the site is also integrated into the design: The interior spaces flow into one another as they follow the natural slope of the land. From the access road, passers-by can see the upper level and the garage, while on the lakeside, three levels rise elegantly above the ground, revealing a facade articulated by a series of angles and wide openings," says Olivier Bourgeois, one of the firm’s co-founders.

Exposed beams run from the inside to the outside, directing views towards the lake.

Wood dominates the facade, giving the house the character of a modern cabin in the woods. The overhanging roof protects the south-facing glass facade from the hot summer sun.

Family and friends can gather around a large U-shaped island in the kitchen.

The children's rooms on the upper floor are accessible via a catwalk.

The house unfolds gradually over three levels. It features an open-plan living room and kitchen, five bedrooms, indoor and outdoor dining spaces, mud rooms, a home office, an indoor pool, and children’s play areas. White oak floors and red cedar ceilings and walls give the interiors a warm, contemporary feel.

A TROAG suspension lamp by FOSCARINI lights the dining room.

A light and dynamic staircase connects the three levels.

"The project seems to cling to the original house location, leaning backwards through the forest, leaving the bank clear. The discreet entrance together with the open facade along the lake creates a strong duality. The idea is not to reveal everything at a glance," says Régis Lechasseur, the firm’s other co-founder.