Nestled within the Devil River’s Valley, with the Mont-Tremblant National Park in the backdrop is a series of A-frame buildings in the ‘Farouche Tremblant’ agrotourism site. Designed by the Canadian architecture studio Atelier l’Abri, the buildings are meant to “recede in the landscape”. The studio designed a cafe, farm, and four rental micro-cabins that function as a basecamp for visitors who want to visit Devil’s River and valley.
Designer: Atelier l’Abri
The four micro cabins feature steep-pitched roofs that have been clad in cedar shingles. The shingles, in fact, reach out to the ground, in turn forming sloping walls. Each cabin includes a king bed, a sofa, and a gas stove, they’re all connected with the help of a narrow winding path. The entrance of the cabin has been amped with outdoor decking and a glazed gable end which allows the visitors to enjoy stunning views of the surrounding natural landscape, whether they’re inside the cabin or outside it. “The cabins, though minimal, are designed for visitors to comfortably experience the changing beauty of the site throughout all four seasons,” said Atelier l’Abri founding partner Nicolas Lapierre “The structures’ organization and proximity really bring in a more social and communal experience which is great.”
The cafe, on the other hand, features a charcoal-colored steel roof, and hemlock timber-clad walls that are inspired by the vernacular farms located in the area. The interiors consist of a cathedral ceiling and a mezzanine floor which functions as a quaint space to sit and relax in. Besides a cafe, the property also hosts a small seasonal market, a cozy lounge area with views of the river and mountains, an agricultural barn, farmland, and greenhouses. There are also hiking trails starting from behind the agricultural building.
“The micro-cabin structures were inspired by the compact A-Frame cottages and cabins from the 1950s and 60s, while the larger buildings for the cafe and farmhouse were inspired by vernacular agricultural architecture. Minimalist in essence, the buildings recede in the landscape and allow guests to fully immerse in the wild beauty of the Devil’s River,” said Lapierre. All the buildings in the Farouche Tremblant have been clad in locally-sourced wood. The tiny cabins have been placed on steel piles, without utilizing any cement. This causes minimum disturbance to the land and reduces its impact on it.
