Near the Lake Ouareau town of Saint-Donat in Quebec, Canada, a traditional gabled house receives a 1,400-square-foot white extension that mirrors the shape of the original building. Designed by Montreal–based ACDF Architecture for a large family with many children and step-children, La Petite Soeur was configured to encourage socialization, but also allows each family member can escape to their own peaceful corner when needed.

“From the extension, an oak wood frame directs views toward the inside of the existing house, the frame’s warm shade matching the old wood planks,” says architect Maxime-Alexis Frappier. “The truncated shape of the bridge makes it wide enough to occupy—a welcomed pause in the landscape, floating over a garden.”

The axis of the bridge aligns the kitchen in the original house with the new living room in the white extension, so even when apart, family members can still see each other from across the bridge.

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The rustic patina of the older, traditional house contrasts and complements the clean, minimalist aesthetics of the extension, resulting in a home where two generations can live harmoniously with nature—and each other.

Project Credits:

Architecture: ACDF Architecture

Builder: Marion & Gauthier Inc.